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Passaic City

Passaic County · 27 schools · 11,037 students
Grades PK–12 · was K–12 in 1998
Updated June 2026

Enrollment, by grade

In 2025-26 it enrolled 11,037 students across grades PK–12. That is 815 more than in 1998-99 (10,222) — the district has grown. It peaked at 14,276 in 2016-17. Its biggest cohort is pre-K.

students 03,6257,25010,87514,500121110987654321KPK1998200320082013201820232025

Students enrolled in each grade each fall, stacked to the total — so the top edge is total enrollment. Bands run from the lowest grade (light) to the highest (dark); a band that appears or disappears is a grade the school added or dropped. “Other” is students with no grade level (mostly special education), so the bands always sum to total. Source: NJDOE Fall Enrollment.

What the district looks like

The largest group in both 1998-99 and 2025-26 was Hispanic students — 75% then, 94% now.

% of students 050100race categories: 5 → 794%1998200320082013201820232025
WhiteBlackHispanicAsianTwo or moreNative Am.

Each group’s share of enrollment over time, or its head count — toggle above. New Jersey expanded race and ethnicity reporting from five to seven categories in 2006-07 (dashed line), so “two or more races” appears only after; Asian here includes Pacific Islander. Source: NJDOE Fall Enrollment.

How much the mix changed

Between 2021-22 and 2025-26 the makeup of this district barely moved.

That’s the smallest shift among Passaic County’s 20 districts. The biggest moves, in percentage points:
Black −0.5·Two or more +0.5

The index is half the sum of every group’s change in share, on a 0–100 scale (how it works). Compare any two years in the explorer →

Free or reduced-price lunch

In 2025-26, 91.9% of students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch.

% eligible 050100notreportednotreported91.9%57.8%1998200320082013201820232025
This districtPassaic County

Share of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals. The lighter line shows Passaic County, for comparison. Not reported by the state in some years (shaded). Since 2014, some districts provide free meals to all students regardless of household income, which can lift the eligible share. Source: NJDOE Fall Enrollment.

Budget

In 2025-26, Passaic City proposed a $320.3 million General Fund operating budget.

Operating revenue

  • Local sources$19.4 million
  • State sources$274.7 million
  • Federal sources$138,373
  • Fund balance / other$26.0 million

Operating spending

  • Instruction and day-to-day operations$134.0 million
  • School-level allocations$160.5 million
  • Charter and Renaissance transfers$25.8 million
  • Buildings, equipment, and other capital costs$10,000

These are proposed NJDOE User-Friendly Budget planning rows—not audited actuals, household tax bills, or all-funds totals.

Open the full budget report →

Test scores

Growth measures how much students progressed over the year against peers who scored the same the year before — 50 is a typical year. In 2024-25, this district’s median growth percentile was 51 in English and 52 in math — NJ calls this “typical” growth.

median student growth percentile · 50 = typical50ELA51Math52
1 · did not meet2 · partially met3 · approached4 · met5 · exceeded

English language arts: 32.2% met or exceeded expectations in 2024-25 (state 53%), up from 28.5% in 2021-22.

By grade, year to year

Each panel is one grade — watch its mix of levels shift across 2021–2024.

Grade 3
21%22%20212024
Grade 4
22%25%20212024
Grade 5
27%30%20212024
Grade 6
31%37%20212024
Grade 7
36%39%20212024
Grade 8
31%42%20212024
Grade 9
29%29%20212024

By grade cohort, lined up across years

Each panel lines up aggregate grade results one grade higher each year. It approximates a class cohort, but does not track individual students; enrollment can change.

Grade 3 in 2021 → Grade 6 in 2024
21%37%Grade 3Grade 6
Grade 3 in 2022 → Grade 5 in 2024
16%30%Grade 3Grade 5
Grade 4 in 2021 → Grade 7 in 2024
22%39%Grade 4Grade 7
Grade 5 in 2021 → Grade 8 in 2024
27%42%Grade 5Grade 8
Grade 6 in 2021 → Grade 9 in 2024
31%29%Grade 6Grade 9
Grade 7 in 2021 → Grade 9 in 2023
36%39%Grade 7Grade 9

Math: 17% met or exceeded expectations in 2024-25 (state 42%), up from 12.9% in 2021-22.

By grade, year to year

Each panel is one grade — watch its mix of levels shift across 2021–2024.

Grade 3
20%19%20212024
Grade 4
14%23%20212024
Grade 5
11%21%20212024
Grade 6
12%18%20212024
Grade 7
12%15%20212024
Grade 8
withheld20212024
Algebra I
11%14%20212024
Geometry
41%11%20212024
Algebra II
withheld20212024

By grade cohort, lined up across years

Each panel lines up aggregate grade results one grade higher each year. It approximates a class cohort, but does not track individual students; enrollment can change.

Grade 3 in 2021 → Grade 6 in 2024
20%18%Grade 3Grade 6
Grade 3 in 2022 → Grade 5 in 2024
16%21%Grade 3Grade 5
Grade 4 in 2021 → Grade 7 in 2024
14%15%Grade 4Grade 7
Grade 5 in 2021 → Grade 8 in 2024
11%11%Grade 5Grade 8

In each panel the flat line is the proficiency boundary: levels 4–5 (met or exceeded) fill the area above it, levels 1–3 below — so a smaller reported share in levels 4–5 makes the area above the line shrink (it isn’t a misleading upward slope). Light = level 1 (did not yet meet expectations), dark = level 5 (exceeded); the % marks the proficient share at the first and last points. The first set of panels follows each grade across the years; the second lines up aggregate grade results one grade higher each year. It approximates a class cohort, not linked individual students. Growth is the median Student Growth Percentile (50 = a typical year), reported only through grade 8. The NJSLA was not given in spring 2020 and was disrupted the next year. Source: NJ School Performance Reports.

Graduation rate

In 2024-25, 88.9% of students graduated within four years — up from 58.4% in 2020-21.

% graduating 507510091.8%88.9%20202021202220232024
This districtNew Jersey

Four-year graduation rate — the share of a class that finishes within four years of entering ninth grade (New Jersey’s state calculation). The lighter line shows New Jersey, for comparison. New Jersey also reports a federal four-year rate (86.7% for 2024-25); the two use slightly different cohort rules. Source: NJ School Performance Reports, 2024-25.

Chronic absenteeism

In 2024-25, 20% of students were chronically absent — missing at least 10% of school days — down from 37.4% in 2021-22.

% chronically absent 0204020%14.4%2021202220232024
This districtNew Jersey

Chronic absenteeism — the share of students who missed 10% or more of the days they were enrolled (roughly 18 days across a full school year). The lighter line shows New Jersey, for comparison. Source: NJ School Performance Reports, 2024-25.

Schools in this district

The district’s 27 schools on record. Open any for its full profile.

Passaic High School No. 12 High school · Grades 9–12 · 2,333 studentsAbraham Lincoln Middle School No. 4 Middle school · Grades 7–8 · 1,775 students · closed after 2017-18William B. Cruise Memorial School No. 11 K–8 school · Grades K–8 · 873 studentsMahatma Gandhi School Number 25 Elementary school · Grades K–3 · 849 studentsMartin Luther King, Jr. School No. 6 K–8 school · Grades PK–8 · 847 studentsMario Drago School No. 3 K–8 school · Grades PK–8 · 776 studentsPassaic Gifted And Talented Academy School No. 20 Middle school · Grades 2–8 · 731 studentsPassaic Preparatory Academy High school · Grades 6–12 · 693 studentsPassaic Academy For Science And Engineering High school · Grades 6–12 · 648 studentsEllen Ochoa School Number 22 Elementary school · Grades 4–6 · 599 studentsDaniel F. Ryan Elementary School No. 19 Middle school · Grades 1–8 · 584 studentsSchool # 17 Elementary school · Grades PK–1 · 548 students · closed after 2016-17Sonia Sotomayor School #21 K–8 school · Grades K–8 · 499 students · closed after 2024-25Muhammad Ali School Number 23 Middle school · Grades 7–8 · 420 studentsThomas Jefferson School No. 1 K–8 school · Grades K–8 · 417 studentsSchool No. 5 K–8 school · Grades K–8 · 397 students · closed after 2021-22Etta Gero School No. 9 Elementary school · Grades K–6 · 352 students · closed after 2023-24Theodore Roosevelt School No. 10 Elementary school · Grades K–6 · 337 studentsCasimir Pulaski School No. 8 Elementary school · Grades K–6 · 317 students · closed after 2022-23Sallie D. Gamble School No. 7 Elementary school · Grades PK–K · 277 studentsAbraham Lincoln School Number 24 Early childhood center · Grades PK · 250 studentsNumber 14 Middle school · Grades 6 · 194 students · closed after 2009-10George Washington School No. 2 Elementary school · Grades K–1 · 172 students · closed after 2018-19Vincent Capuana School No. 15 Elementary school · Grades PK–K · 144 studentsThe Learning Center Elementary school · Grades 3–9 · 117 students · closed after 2009-10Number 18 Elementary school · Grades K · 102 students · closed after 2009-10Casimir Pulaski School No. 8 Early childhood center · Grades PK · 77 students · closed after 2023-24

Profile built from New Jersey Department of Education Fall Enrollment data, 1998-99 through 2025-26. How this data works →