operational schools · 2023–24
School district or education agency · NCES 3413140
Plainfield Public School District
Plainfield, NJ
Students10,436
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
28.3%16.7%27.8%This district is 11.6 percentage points higher than the state figure and 0.5 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Revenue per studentFY 2023
$35,458$30,225$19,509This district is $5,233 per student higher than the state figure and $15,949 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Spending per studentFY 2023
$21,278$25,479$15,859This district is $4,201 per student lower than the state figure and $5,419 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Capital outlay per studentFY 2023
$4,055$1,229$1,964This district is $2,826 per student higher than the state figure and $2,091 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Equipment spending per studentFY 2023
$128$172$336This district is $44 per student lower than the state figure and $208 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Special-education spending per studentFY 2023
$3,478$3,268$1,793This district is $210 per student higher than the state figure and $1,685 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Salaries per studentFY 2023
$10,079$12,124$8,742This district is $2,045 per student lower than the state figure and $1,337 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Benefits per studentFY 2023
$6,773$8,043$3,769This district is $1,270 per student lower than the state figure and $3,004 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Debt outstanding per studentFY 2023
$791$5,687$11,715This district is $4,896 per student lower than the state figure and $10,924 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Debt retired per studentFY 2023
$174$442$869This district is $268 per student lower than the state figure and $695 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Students per teacher2023–24
17:112:115:1This district is 5.0 students per teacher higher than the state figure and 2.0 students per teacher higher than the U.S. figure.
Students per counselor2023–24
497:1298:1376:1This district is 199 students per counselor higher than the state figure and 121 students per counselor higher than the U.S. figure.
District staff per 1,000 students2023–24
126.4179.1138.9This district is 52.7 staff per 1,000 students lower than the state figure and 12.5 staff per 1,000 students lower than the U.S. figure.
Instructional aides per 1,000 students2023–24
27.331.918.5This district is 4.6 aides per 1,000 students lower than the state figure and 8.8 aides per 1,000 students higher than the U.S. figure.
School psychologists per 1,000 students2023–24
0.81.50.9This district is 0.7 psychologists per 1,000 students lower than the state figure and 0.1 psychologists per 1,000 students lower than the U.S. figure.
Regular diplomas among completers2023–24
96.1%95.5%99.0%This district is 0.6 percentage points higher than the state figure and 2.9 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Annual dropouts among students in grades 9–122023–24
2.7%1.1%2.6%This district is 1.6 percentage points higher than the state figure and 0.1 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Pre-K students as a share of enrollment2023–24
15.6%6.0%2.9%This district is 9.6 percentage points higher than the state figure and 12.7 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Students learning English2021–22 · reporting schools
46.3%8.5%12.0%This district is 37.8 percentage points higher than the state figure and 34.3 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · reporting schools
13.9%16.0%14.0%This district is 2.1 percentage points lower than the state figure and 0.1 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · reporting schools
0.5%3.6%3.9%This district is 3.1 percentage points lower than the state figure and 3.4 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Teachers reported as certified2021–22 · reporting schools
89.5%97.1%95.8%This district is 7.6 percentage points lower than the state figure and 6.3 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Enrollment change2021–22 to 2023–24
+26.5%+4.0%+0.5%This district is 22.5 percentage points higher than the state figure and 26.0 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Students eligible for free or reduced-price meals2021–22 · valid district records
80.6%34.2%50.6%This district is 46.4 percentage points higher than the state figure and 30.0 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students without disabilities2021–22 · matched enrollment
4.3%3.5%4.5%This district is 0.8 percentage points higher than the state figure and 0.2 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · matched enrollment
9.2%6.7%9.0%This district is 2.5 percentage points higher than the state figure and 0.2 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · matched enrollment
5.9%4.0%6.7%This district is 1.9 percentage points higher than the state figure and 0.8 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
School-age children in poverty2024 Census estimate
18.7%11.3%14.4%This district is 7.4 percentage points higher than the state figure and 4.3 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Enrollment · 2023–24
Who attends this district?
Pre-K1,632 students
15.6%Kindergarten–grade 54,387 students
42.0%Grades 6–81,848 students
17.7%Grades 9–122,569 students
24.6%See enrollment for every grade
Pre-Kindergarten1,632
Kindergarten707
Grade 1740
Grade 2764
Grade 3745
Grade 4728
Grade 5703
Grade 6590
Grade 7553
Grade 8705
Grade 9672
Grade 10654
Grade 11662
Grade 12581
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 teachers8.5 FTE
Kindergarten teachers9 FTE
Elementary teachers229.8 FTE
Secondary teachers242.5 FTE
Ungraded teachers130.8 FTE
Instructional coordinators26 FTE
District administrators4 FTE
District administrative support23 FTE
School administrative support25 FTE
Other support staff194.4 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.
46.3%Students learning English3,823 students · 13 of 13 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
13.9%Students receiving IDEA special-education services1,145 students · 13 of 13 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
0.5%Students with Section 504 plans34 students · 10 of 13 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
4.0%English learners also receiving IDEA services331 students · 13 of 13 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.
Perth Amboy Public School DistrictPerth Amboy, NJ10,356 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Vineland Public School DistrictVineland, NJ10,317 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Bayonne School DistrictBayonne, NJ10,697 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →New Brunswick School DistrictNew Brunswick, NJ9,443 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Clifton Public School DistrictClifton, NJ11,010 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →
Academic results · 2025
How do results differ among student groups?
Black students1,131 assessments
28 out of 100Fem3,366 assessments
22 out of 100Economically disadvantaged students5,127 assessments
21 out of 100Students not economically disadvantaged1,768 assessments
21 out of 100Mal3,529 assessments
20 out of 100Hispanic students5,635 assessments
19 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$20,332
→FY 2023$21,278
FY 2022$2,677
→FY 2023$4,055
FY 2022$0
→FY 2023$791
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?
2,306 of 8,302 students
2,474 of 8,249 students
2,361 of 8,331 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 I2 reporting schools
50%
Calculus2 reporting schools
0%
Biology2 reporting schools
0%
Chemistry2 reporting schools
0%
Physics2 reporting schools
0%
Computer science2 reporting schools
0%
Advanced Placement2 reporting schools
100%
Dual enrollment2 reporting schools
0%
Gifted programs13 reporting schools
0%
International Baccalaureate2 reporting schools
0%
Athletics2 reporting schools
100%
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?
438Out-of-school suspensions13 reporting schoolsSee schools →0In-school suspensions13 reporting schoolsSee schools →7Law-enforcement referrals13 reporting schoolsSee schools →3School-related arrests13 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?28.3% chronically absent2022–23 · 8,331 students measuredExplore and compare →Is the district improving?Declined overallCompare the earliest and latest available yearsExplore and compare →Where are student-group gaps largest?6 student groups2025 research estimatesExplore and compare →How much does the district spend?$21,278current spending per studentExplore and compare →Does the district have enough support staff?497:1 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 →