Plainfield Public School District

The Plainfield Public School District is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in kindergarten through twelfth grade from Plainfield, in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The district is one of 31 former Abbott districts statewide that were established pursuant to the decision by the New Jersey Supreme Court in Abbott v. Burke^[3] which are now referred to as "SDA Districts" based on the requirement for the state to cover all costs for school building and renovation projects in these districts under the supervision of the New Jersey Schools Development Authority.^[4][5]

Plainfield Public School District
Address
1200 Myrtle Avenue Plainfield , Union County, New Jersey, 07063 United States
Coordinates	40.614499°N 74.421309°W / 40.614499; -74.421309
District information
Grades	K-12
Superintendent	Rashon K. Hasan
Business administrator	Cameron E. Cox
Schools	14
Affiliation(s)	Former Abbott district
Students and staff
Enrollment	10,097 (as of 2022–23)[1]
Faculty	628.7 FTEs[1]
Student–teacher ratio	16.1:1[1]
Other information
District Factor Group	B
Website	www.plainfieldnjk12.org
Ind. Per pupil District spending Rank (*) K-12 average %± vs. average 1A Total Spending $20,426 76 $18,891 8.1% 1 Budgetary Cost 16,539 85 14,783 11.9% 2 Classroom Instruction 9,103 69 8,763 3.9% 6 Support Services 2,911 85 2,392 21.7% 8 Administrative Cost 1,779 95 1,485 19.8% 10 Operations & Maintenance 2,501 94 1,783 40.3% 13 Extracurricular Activities 168 19 268 −37.3% 16 Median Teacher Salary 63,422 42 64,043 Data from NJDoE 2014 Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending.[2] *Of K-12 districts with more than 3,500 students. Lowest spending=1; Highest=103

As of the 2022–23 school year, the district, comprised of 14 schools, had an enrollment of 10,097 students and 628.7 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 16.1:1.^[1]

The district is classified by the New Jersey Department of Education as being in District Factor Group "B", the second lowest of eight groupings. District Factor Groups organize districts statewide to allow comparison by common socioeconomic characteristics of the local districts. From lowest socioeconomic status to highest, the categories are A, B, CD, DE, FG, GH, I and J.^[6]

History

In August 2017, the district received approval from the New Jersey Schools Development Authority to construct a new elementary school that will replace the Cook and Woodland Avenue schools, which will both be demolished when the new school is completed.^[7] The new facility, which would accommodate 750 students in grades K-5, is expected to be completed in 2022 at a cost of $57 million.^[8]

In July 2023, ceremonies were held for the new Charles and Anna Booker Elementary School, a 120,000-square-foot (11,000 m²) facility constructed with the assistance of the Schools Development Authority at a cost of $59.4 million.^[9]

Schools

Schools in the district (with 2022–23 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics^[10]) are:^[11][12]

Elementary schools

• DeWitt D. Barlow Elementary School^[13] (417 students; in grades K–5)
  • Wilson Aponte, principal^[14]
• Charles and Anna Booker Elementary School^[15] (NA; PreK–5)
  • Juanpablo Jimenez, principal^[16]
• Cedarbrook K-8 Center^[17] (623; K–8)
  • Tenisha L. Fort, principal^[18]
• Clinton Elementary School^[19] (413; K–5)
  • Aurora J. Hill, principal^[20]
• Frederic W. Cook Elementary School^[21] (389; K–5)
  • Caryn Cooper, principal^[22]
• Emerson Community School^[23] (509; K–5)
  • Dion A. Roach, principal^[24]
• Evergreen Elementary School^[25] (602; K–5)
  • Johan Manuel Rojas, principal^[26]
• Jefferson Elementary School^[27] (441; K–5)
  • Telaya L. Parham, principal^[28]
• Charles H. Stillman Elementary School^[29] (354; K–5)
  • Brenda Noble, principal^[30]
• Washington Community School^[31] (649; K–5)
  • Natasha M. De Jesus-Boston, principal^[32]

Middle schools

• Frank J. Hubbard Middle School^[33] (775; 6–8)
  • Olivia Rodríguez-Calderon, principal^[34]
• Maxson Middle School^[35] (818; 6–8)
  • April Morgan, principal^[36]

High schools / academies

• Pinnacle Academy High School^[37] (90; 9–12)
• Plainfield Academy for the Arts and Advanced Studies^[38] (356; 7–12)
  • Gregory K. Sneed, principal^[39]
• Plainfield High School^[40] (1,925; 9–12)
  • Shadin Belal, principal^[41]

Administration

Core members of the district's administration are:^[42][43]

• Rashon K. Hasan, Superintendent of Schools^[44]
• Cameron E. Cox, Business Administrator and Board Secretary^[45]

Board of education

The district's board of education, comprised of nine members, sets policy and oversees the fiscal and educational operation of the district through its administration. As a Type II school district, the board's trustees are elected directly by voters to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with three seats up for election each year held (since 2017) as part of the November general election. The board appoints a superintendent to oversee the district's day-to-day operations and a business administrator to supervise the business functions of the district.^[46][47][48]