operational schools · 2023–24
School district or education agency · NCES 3412690
Paterson Public School District
Paterson, NJ
Students24,692
Student membership reported by NCES for 2023–24.
students in linked records
federal comparable series
per student
District, state and country
How does this district compare?
State and national figures use the same measure and reporting period. They are weighted by students or staffing whenever the source provides a denominator.
MeasureDistrictNJUnited States
Academic standing2025
21st percentile52nd percentile45th percentileThis district is 31 percentile points lower than the state figure and 24 percentile points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students chronically absent2022–23
40.0%16.7%27.8%This district is 23.3 percentage points higher than the state figure and 12.2 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Revenue per studentFY 2023
$34,297$30,225$19,509This district is $4,072 per student higher than the state figure and $14,788 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Spending per studentFY 2023
$25,726$25,479$15,859This district is $247 per student higher than the state figure and $9,867 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Capital outlay per studentFY 2023
$1,056$1,229$1,964This district is $173 per student lower than the state figure and $908 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Equipment spending per studentFY 2023
$44$172$336This district is $128 per student lower than the state figure and $292 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Special-education spending per studentFY 2023
$3,851$3,268$1,793This district is $583 per student higher than the state figure and $2,058 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Salaries per studentFY 2023
$10,413$12,124$8,742This district is $1,711 per student lower than the state figure and $1,671 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Benefits per studentFY 2023
$8,877$8,043$3,769This district is $834 per student higher than the state figure and $5,108 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Debt outstanding per studentFY 2023
$974$5,687$11,715This district is $4,713 per student lower than the state figure and $10,741 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Debt retired per studentFY 2023
$44$442$869This district is $398 per student lower than the state figure and $825 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Students per teacher2023–24
14:112:115:1This district is 2.0 students per teacher higher than the state figure and 1.0 students per teacher lower than the U.S. figure.
Students per counselor2023–24
301:1298:1376:1This district is 3 students per counselor higher than the state figure and 75 students per counselor lower than the U.S. figure.
District staff per 1,000 students2023–24
148.5179.1138.9This district is 30.6 staff per 1,000 students lower than the state figure and 9.6 staff per 1,000 students higher than the U.S. figure.
Instructional aides per 1,000 students2023–24
26.331.918.5This district is 5.6 aides per 1,000 students lower than the state figure and 7.8 aides per 1,000 students higher than the U.S. figure.
School psychologists per 1,000 students2023–24
0.91.50.9This district is 0.6 psychologists per 1,000 students lower than the state figure and about the same as the U.S. figure.
Regular diplomas among completers2023–24
99.5%95.5%99.0%This district is 4.0 percentage points higher than the state figure and 0.5 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Annual dropouts among students in grades 9–122023–24
4.9%1.1%2.6%This district is 3.8 percentage points higher than the state figure and 2.3 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Pre-K students as a share of enrollment2023–24
12.7%6.0%2.9%This district is 6.7 percentage points higher than the state figure and 9.8 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Students learning English2021–22 · reporting schools
16.0%8.5%12.0%This district is 7.4 percentage points higher than the state figure and 4.0 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · reporting schools
16.8%16.0%14.0%This district is 0.8 percentage points higher than the state figure and 2.8 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · reporting schools
2.0%3.6%3.9%This district is 1.6 percentage points lower than the state figure and 1.9 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Teachers reported as certified2021–22 · reporting schools
100.0%97.1%95.8%This district is 2.9 percentage points higher than the state figure and 4.2 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Enrollment change2021–22 to 2023–24
+11.3%+4.0%+0.5%This district is 7.3 percentage points higher than the state figure and 10.8 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Students eligible for free or reduced-price meals2021–22 · valid district records
68.4%34.2%50.6%This district is 34.2 percentage points higher than the state figure and 17.8 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students without disabilities2021–22 · matched enrollment
6.5%3.5%4.5%This district is 3.0 percentage points higher than the state figure and 2.0 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · matched enrollment
8.8%6.7%9.0%This district is 2.1 percentage points higher than the state figure and 0.2 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · matched enrollment
9.8%4.0%6.7%This district is 5.8 percentage points higher than the state figure and 3.1 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
School-age children in poverty2024 Census estimate
26.1%11.3%14.4%This district is 14.8 percentage points higher than the state figure and 11.7 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Enrollment · 2023–24
Who attends this district?
Pre-K3,145 students
12.7%Kindergarten–grade 510,331 students
41.8%Grades 6–85,379 students
21.8%Grades 9–125,837 students
23.6%See enrollment for every grade
Pre-Kindergarten3,145
Kindergarten1,603
Grade 11,715
Grade 21,813
Grade 31,698
Grade 41,766
Grade 51,736
Grade 61,756
Grade 71,780
Grade 81,843
Grade 91,421
Grade 101,522
Grade 111,447
Grade 121,447
Students by race and ethnicity
Final NCES Common Core of Data membership file, 2023–24. Suppressed or missing cells are not estimated.
Early learning · 2023–24
How much public pre-K is reported?
Pre-K students as a share of district enrollment
Final NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2023–24. Enrollment shows children attending district-run public pre-K. It does not show open seats, waitlists, private providers, program hours, eligibility or the cost to families.
Current staffing · 2023–24
How many staff members support students?
See detailed staffing
Pre-K teachers61 FTE
Kindergarten teachers69 FTE
Elementary teachers721.5 FTE
Secondary teachers546.5 FTE
Ungraded teachers364 FTE
Instructional coordinators119 FTE
District administrators8 FTE
District administrative support123 FTE
School administrative support95 FTE
Other support staff502.5 FTE
Final NCES Common Core of Data staff file, 2023–24. These are full-time-equivalent positions, not employee headcounts, vacancies or caseloads.
High-school outcomes · 2023–24
How many students completed school or dropped out?
Regular diplomas among completers
Annual dropouts among students in grades 9–12
Final NCES Common Core of Data completer and dropout files, 2023–24. The dropout rate divides the reported annual grades 9–12 dropout count by complete grades 9–12 enrollment. It is not a cohort graduation rate. The diploma share describes credentials among completers and should not be read as a graduation rate.
Graduation · 2022–23
How many students graduated within four years?
Loading the district's official graduation record…
Learning support · 2021–22 federal snapshot
How many students may need specialized support?
Counts and shares use only schools with a usable value for that measure. The reporting-school denominator prevents missing schools from being counted as zero.
16.0%Students learning English3,486 students · 43 of 44 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
16.8%Students receiving IDEA special-education services3,655 students · 43 of 44 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
2.0%Students with Section 504 plans437 students · 41 of 44 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
1.8%English learners also receiving IDEA services389 students · 43 of 44 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021–22. Public-use counts are privacy-protected. These figures describe the reporting year, not current enrollment, diagnoses, service quality or unmet need.
Teacher quality and early learning · 2021–22
What did the district report about teachers and preschool?
Teacher certification comparison
U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021–22. Certification status is district-reported and may not match current staffing. Preschool counts cover the federal reporting year and are not a measure of available seats.
Community context · 2024
How many school-age children live in poverty?
This Census estimate provides context about families in the district. It does not measure school quality or describe every student enrolled in the district.
U.S. Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024. The estimate covers related children ages 5 to 17 in families in poverty and uses 2024–25 district boundaries.
District geography · 2024–25
What area does this district cover?
NCES publishes a geographic boundary for traditional school districts. Charter agencies and some special-purpose agencies may not have one.
Loading the official district boundary…
Source: NCES EDGE School District Boundaries, school year 2024–25.
Comparable districts
Districts serving a similar student population
These peers are matched using enrollment and available student population measures. Districts in NJ receive geographic preference, but a closer national match may appear when it is more comparable. Open any profile for a full comparison.
Jersey City Public SchoolsJersey City, NJ26,293 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Elizabeth Public SchoolsElizabeth, NJ28,334 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Goose Creek CisdBaytown, TX24,108 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Twin Rivers UnifiedNorth Highlands, CA24,386 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Charter Institute at ErskineBelton, SC25,146 studentsSimilar enrollment, English-learner enrollment, special-education enrollment · View profile →
Academic results · 2025
How do results differ among student groups?
Asian students1,261 assessments
54 out of 100White students982 assessments
39 out of 100Fem8,682 assessments
22 out of 100Economically disadvantaged students13,280 assessments
21 out of 100Mal8,841 assessments
19 out of 100Students not economically disadvantaged4,248 assessments
19 out of 100Hispanic students12,370 assessments
18 out of 100Black students2,792 assessments
15 out of 100A score of 50 marks the national 2019 midpoint. Higher numbers indicate stronger results on the comparable Stanford research scale. This is not a state proficiency rate.
District makeup
What kinds of schools are in the district?
School levels, settings and types use the NCES 2021–22 directory matched to the federal civil-rights collection.
District finances
How is the district funded, and how does it spend?
Sources of funds
Where the money comes from
Share of district revenue supplied by each level of government.
Uses of funds
Where the money goes
Annual spending for each enrolled student.
Revenue by source: percentages and dollars
How operating money was used
People costs
Equipment, buildings and debt
Selected federal program revenue
What changed since FY 2022
FY 2022$23,944
→FY 2023$25,726
FY 2022$1,251
→FY 2023$1,056
FY 2022$0
→FY 2023$974
Revenue shares and spending categories answer different questions and should not be added together. Source: NCES F-33 district finance, FY 2023.
Attendance
How has chronic absence changed?
6,505 of 22,765 students
10,833 of 21,584 students
8,900 of 22,266 students
Specialized support and security · 2021–22
What specialized roles were reported?
Staffing is reported as full-time equivalents in the 2021–22 CRDC collection.
Learning opportunities
What do district schools offer?
Algebra I8 reporting schools
100%
Calculus8 reporting schools
25%
Biology8 reporting schools
100%
Chemistry8 reporting schools
100%
Physics8 reporting schools
50%
Computer science8 reporting schools
50%
Advanced Placement8 reporting schools
75%
Dual enrollment8 reporting schools
63%
Gifted programs42 reporting schools
2%
International Baccalaureate8 reporting schools
13%
Athletics8 reporting schools
25%
Shares use only schools for which the program was applicable and reported. A districtwide percentage does not guarantee availability at every grade or campus. Source: 2021–22 CRDC.
Safety and discipline
What was reported across district schools?
1,434Out-of-school suspensions41 reporting schoolsSee schools →1,338In-school suspensions41 reporting schoolsSee schools →0Law-enforcement referrals41 reporting schoolsSee schools →0School-related arrests41 reporting schoolsSee schools →
Counts are from the 2021–22 CRDC collection. Open a measure to see the schools behind the district total.
Technology and safety · 2021–22
What access and incident data is available?
Technology and incident figures are from the 2021–22 CRDC collection. Device counts describe the reporting year, not current inventory.
Six questions parents ask
What the available data says
Each answer shows its reporting year and opens a deeper comparison. Missing and suppressed results are never shown as zero.
Are students making academic progress?5 years of resultsLatest research estimate: 2025Explore and compare →Are students missing too much school?40% chronically absent2022–23 · 22,266 students measuredExplore and compare →Is the district improving?Declined overallCompare the earliest and latest available yearsExplore and compare →Where are student-group gaps largest?8 student groups2025 research estimatesExplore and compare →How much does the district spend?$25,726current spending per studentExplore and compare →Does the district have enough support staff?301:1 counselor ratioStudents per counselor in the 2023–24 federal staffing fileExplore and compare →
8 of 8 national data layers are matched to this NCES district ID. Identity and school counts use NCES records. Academic estimates use SEDA, attendance uses EDFacts, finance uses NCES F-33, staffing and enrollment use 2023–24 NCES CCD where available, teacher certification, preschool and policy fields use the 2021–22 CRDC, and community poverty context uses Census SAIPE. Four-year graduation rates use 2022–23 EDFacts. Every detailed view preserves its reporting year.
See all sources →