Chronic Absenteeism in New Jersey

Reviewed by PlainSchools Editorial, K12 Schools Editorial Team · June 4, 2026

Top 100 schools ranked by chronic absenteeism rate. 56 schools have critical rates above 50%.

55.9%

State Average

national: 30.9%

Critical Schools

>50% absent

100.0%

Worst Rate

Henry B. Wilson Family School

100

Schools

#	School	City	Enrollment	Absent %	Status
1	Henry B. Wilson Family School	CAMDEN	377	100.0%	Critical
2	Morgan Village Middle School	Camden	203	100.0%	Critical
3	Bayonne Alternative High School	Bayonne	109	100.0%	Critical
4	Alternative High School	PATERSON	81	100.0%	Critical
5	Forest Hill School	CAMDEN	339	87.6%	Critical
6	Newark Educators Community Charter School	NEWARK	142	86.6%	Critical
7	School 3	PATERSON	167	80.8%	Critical
8	School 10	PATERSON	474	79.1%	Critical
9	Asbury Park High School	ASBURY PARK	379	78.9%	Critical
10	Camden High School	CAMDEN	425	76.5%	Critical
11	Cooper'S Poynt Family School	CAMDEN	381	74.3%	Critical
12	Yorkship Elementary School	CAMDEN	310	73.9%	Critical
13	East Side High School	CAMDEN	512	73.6%	Critical
14	Whitney M. Young Jr. School	JERSEY CITY	623	73.4%	Critical
15	Dr. Henry H. Davis Elementary School	CAMDEN	515	72.4%	Critical
16	Ollie Culbreth Jr. School	JERSEY CITY	335	72.2%	Critical
17	Dr. Charles E. Brimm Medical Arts High School	CAMDEN	179	71.5%	Critical
18	School 13	PATERSON	499	71.3%	Critical
19	Gregory Elementary School	TRENTON	311	68.2%	Critical
20	Edward W. Kilpatrick	PATERSON	295	64.1%	Critical
21	Ezra L. Nolan School	JERSEY CITY	250	64.0%	Critical
22	Freedom Prep Charter School	CAMDEN	743	63.3%	Critical
23	Uptown School Complex	Atlantic City	518	61.2%	Critical
24	Rev. Dr. Frank Napier Jr. School	PATERSON	491	60.7%	Critical
25	President Barack Obama Elementary School	JERSEY CITY	425	60.5%	Critical
26	Harrison Elementary School	TRENTON	243	60.5%	Critical
27	School 12	PATERSON	474	60.1%	Critical
28	Camden Big Picture Learning Academy	CAMDEN	150	60.0%	Critical
29	Theodore Roosevelt School No. 10	Passaic	369	59.9%	Critical
30	School 21	PATERSON	665	58.9%	Critical
31	Veterans Memorial Middle	VINELAND	603	58.7%	Critical
32	Dale Avenue	PATERSON	228	58.3%	Critical
33	Martin Center for the Arts	JERSEY CITY	359	58.2%	Critical
34	Young Men'S Academy	Paterson	50	58.0%	Critical
35	School 8	PATERSON	411	57.7%	Critical
36	Chaplain Charles Watters School	JERSEY CITY	586	57.5%	Critical
37	Senator Frank Lautenberg School	PATERSON	605	57.4%	Critical
38	Etta Gero School No. 9	Passaic	387	57.1%	Critical
39	Gladys Nunery School	JERSEY CITY	251	56.6%	Critical
40	Grover Cleveland Elementary School	NEWARK	321	56.1%	Critical
41	Veterans Memorial Family School	CAMDEN	474	55.7%	Critical
42	Hope Community Charter School	Camden	115	53.9%	Critical
43	Washington Elementary School	TRENTON	321	53.6%	Critical
44	Paulsboro Junior High School	Paulsboro	155	53.5%	Critical
45	Casimir Pulaski School No. 8	Passaic	317	52.7%	Critical
46	Thomas W. Wallace Jr. Middle School	VINELAND	695	52.4%	Critical
47	New York Avenue School	Atlantic City	550	52.4%	Critical
48	Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Complex	PATERSON	513	52.4%	Critical
49	Lindenwold School Four	LINDENWOLD	657	52.1%	Critical
50	Franklin Elementary School	TRENTON	372	51.6%	Critical
51	Rosa L. Parks School of Fine and Performing Arts	PATERSON	258	51.6%	Critical
52	Rafael Hernandez School	NEWARK	713	51.2%	Critical
53	Speedway Avenue School	NEWARK	525	50.9%	Critical
54	Dr. Martin Luther King Upper Elementary School	ASBURY PARK	195	50.8%	Critical
55	School 19	PATERSON	288	50.3%	Critical
56	Dr Martin Luther King Jr School Complex	Atlantic City	544	50.0%	Critical
57	American History High School	NEWARK	386	49.7%	High
58	International High School	PATERSON	650	49.5%	High
59	P.J. Hill Elementary	TRENTON	555	49.5%	High
60	School 20	PATERSON	343	49.0%	High
61	Frederic W. Cook Elementary School	PLAINFIELD	198	49.0%	High
62	Roseville Community Charter School	NEWARK	285	48.8%	High
63	West Side High School	Newark	541	48.2%	High
64	Paterson P-Tech	PATERSON	193	47.7%	High
65	Plainfield High School	PLAINFIELD	2,077	47.2%	High
66	Camden Prep Inc.	Camden	1,498	47.1%	High
67	New Horizons Community Charter School	NEWARK	370	46.8%	High
68	Paterson Steam High School	PATERSON	379	46.7%	High
69	Trenton Stem-to-Civics Charter School	Ewing	562	46.1%	High
70	Paulsboro High School	PAULSBORO	390	45.9%	High
71	Irvington High School	IRVINGTON	1,913	45.6%	High
72	Creative Arts High School	CAMDEN	209	45.5%	High
73	Avon Avenue School	NEWARK	485	45.4%	High
74	School 5	PATERSON	753	45.2%	High
75	School 2	PATERSON	473	45.2%	High
76	Orange Preparatory Academy School of Inquiry and Innovation	ORANGE	397	44.6%	High
77	Thomas H. Dudley Family School	Camden	549	44.4%	High
78	Wallkill Valley Regional High School	HARDYSTON TOWNSHIP	581	44.2%	High
79	School 26	PATERSON	419	44.2%	High
80	Lindenwold School Five	LINDENWOLD	596	44.1%	High
81	Trenton Central High School - Main Campus	TRENTON	2,097	44.0%	High
82	Marion P. Thomas Charter School	NEWARK	1,410	44.0%	High
83	Benjamin Franklin School No. 13	ELIZABETH	392	43.4%	High
84	School 15	PATERSON	577	43.3%	High
85	Mott Elementary School	TRENTON	375	43.2%	High
86	Lindenwold Middle School	LINDENWOLD	896	42.7%	High
87	Daniel F. Ryan Elementary School No. 19	Passaic	590	42.7%	High
88	Atlantic Community Charter School	Galloway	333	42.6%	High
89	Theodora Smiley Lacey Elementary School	TEANECK	115	42.6%	High
90	Salem High School	SALEM	393	42.5%	High
91	Sussex Middle School	SUSSEX	291	42.3%	High
92	Lakeside Middle School	MILLVILLE	929	41.9%	High
93	New Roberto Clemente	PATERSON	473	41.9%	High
94	Lincoln High School	JERSEY CITY	767	41.7%	High
95	Keansburg High School	KEANSBURG	379	41.7%	High
96	Robbins Elementary School	TRENTON	459	41.6%	High
97	Woodruff Middle School	Seabrook	253	41.5%	High
98	Margaret Mace Elementary School	North Wildwood	159	41.5%	High
99	Lead Charter School	Newark	333	41.4%	High
100	Newark Vocational High School	NEWARK	591	41.1%	High

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Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts — Chronic Absenteeism Data (SY 2021-22). Schools with fewer than 50 students excluded. Percentage = chronically absent students / total enrollment U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts — Chronic Absenteeism Data (SY 2021-22). Schools with fewer than 50 students excluded. Percentage = chronically absent students / total enrollment

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.