Total enrollment
40,426
+4,413 (+12%) vs SY 2020-21
65 schools in Newark Public School District
New Jersey · 41,502 students · 2 cities
Of the public K-12 schools operating across New Jersey, 65 sit inside Newark Public School District, collectively enrolling about 41,502 students (46 elementary and 18 high).
4-year change in Newark Public School District
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25School count
64
+6 (+10%) vs SY 2020-21
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
How Newark Public School District ranks
Among districts| Measure | This district | In New Jersey | In the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 22.2% | #214 of 243 | N/A |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 41,502 | #1 of 372 | #131 of 9,234 |
| Number of schools ranked most first | 65 | #1 of 372 | N/A |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 14.4:1 | #363 of 370 | #4,877 of 9,044 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch share ranked highest first | 78.9% | #16 of 369 | #1,299 of 8,164 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 53.3% | #174 of 298 | #2,571 of 6,853 |
Districts need at least 2 schools and 500 students to be ranked. Test proficiency is ranked within the state only, since each state gives a different test. Each rank links to the full list.
Inside Newark Public School District
State test results across the district's 59 scored schools run from Science Park High School at 78.2% proficient to Barringer High School at 2.8%, a gap of 75.4 points. That is the 3rd widest gap among 186 New Jersey districts with four or more scored schools.
Since 2017-18, the 53 district schools that reported both years went from 34,018 to 36,266 students (up 7%) and from 2,412 to 2,500 full-time teachers (up 4%), as of 2024-25.
Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across each school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25; schools with fewer than 100 students and schools serving specialized populations are left out. Staffing figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data and count only schools that reported students and teachers in both years.
About Newark Public School District
Newark Public School District is a mid-sized public-school district in New Jersey. The district operates 65 schools and teaches approximately 41,502 students.
In terms of grade levels, Newark Public School District covers 46 elementary, 18 high schools, and 1 combined or other.
On a per-school basis, Newark Public School District runs about 638 students per school, 18% above the state mean of roughly 540.
Trend over the past 4 years. Combined enrollment now sits at 40,426 students, climbed 12% from the 36,013 reported in SY 2020-21. The school count climbed from 58 to 64 across the same 4-year window.
On allk12, the community for Newark Public School District discusses sports rivalries, cross-district programs, and shared facilities. Anyone with firsthand knowledge of these schools is welcome to weigh in.