Enrollment
1,044
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · South Plainfield, NJ
South Plainfield High School
Federal NCES profile for South Plainfield High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 69/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 341536003632
👥 S:T ratio 57
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 48
📋 Attendance 69
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Plainfield High School earns 69/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Jersey median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most New Jersey schools.
- #3 of 7
- public schools in South Plainfield · Resource Index
- 69
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.8:1
- students per teacher
- 17.3%
- free-lunch eligible
South Plainfield High School has class sizes near the New Jersey median. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Plainfield High School ranks #3 of 7 public schools in South Plainfield, NJ.
School address
District: South Plainfield School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 341536003632 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
97.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.8:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
17.3%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
-42% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Plainfield High School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Plainfield High School
South Plainfield High School is a lower-poverty, large high school in South Plainfield, New Jersey, enrolling 1,044 students.
At 10.8:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the New Jersey median, within a few percentage points of the 11.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 17.3% lands close to the New Jersey typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in New Jersey, bigger than 91% of state schools at 1,044 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Against 261 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #62.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (37%) and White (33%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 72/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 20 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 261 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
12.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
South Plainfield School District also operates Grant Elementary School (568 students) and South Plainfield Middle School (553 students) alongside South Plainfield High School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How South Plainfield High School compares
South Plainfield High School on the metrics families compare, against New Jersey and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs New Jersey | New Jersey avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.8:1 | ▼ 8% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 17.3% | ▼ 42% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,044 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.8:1
Leaner classes than 84% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
1,044
Bigger than 92% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
17.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 42% below the New Jersey average of 29.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
10.8:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 41% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 59% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
12.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$23,119
per pupil, district-wide
- below New Jersey avg of $24,984
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 261 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
90
in-school suspensions + 47 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 37.0%
White 33.4%
Asian 13.5%
African American 13.4%
Two or More 1.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 37.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 71.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 71.5, South Plainfield High School is more mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
AP courses offered 20
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South Plainfield School District, which includes South Plainfield High School.
$23,119
Per student
-7%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+39%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 65.0%
State 29.7%
Federal 5.3%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How South Plainfield High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grant Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| South Plainfield Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Roosevelt Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| John E Riley Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Franklin Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Plainfield High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 568
- Students per teacher
- 11.4:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
- Enrollment
- 553
- Students per teacher
- 10.8:1
- Resource Index
- 68/100
- Enrollment
- 472
- Students per teacher
- 10.5:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 367
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 270
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of New Jersey, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,044 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Plainfield High School's federal record.
- Compare South Plainfield High School against another school. Compare schools
- South Plainfield School District's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about South Plainfield High School
How many students attend South Plainfield High School?
South Plainfield High School has 1,044 students enrolled. It is a high school in South Plainfield, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Plainfield High School?
The student-teacher ratio at South Plainfield High School is 10.8:1, which is 8% lower than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 31% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Plainfield High School?
17.3% of students at South Plainfield High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Plainfield High School?
The largest demographic group at South Plainfield High School is Hispanic or Latino at 37.0% of enrollment, in South Plainfield, NJ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Plainfield High School?
South Plainfield High School has a Resource Investment Index of 69/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does South Plainfield High School rank among public schools in South Plainfield?
By Resource Investment Index, South Plainfield High School ranks #3 of 7 public schools in South Plainfield, NJ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in South Plainfield on the city page.
Is South Plainfield High School a good school?
South Plainfield High School earns 69/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Jersey median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most New Jersey schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in South Plainfield School District?
Besides South Plainfield High School, South Plainfield School District also operates Grant Elementary School (568 students), South Plainfield Middle School (553 students), and Roosevelt Elementary School (472 students). See the South Plainfield School District district page for the complete list.
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Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.