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Plainfield Public School District

New rankings! SchoolDigger recently updated its New Jersey rankings with newly released test scores for the 2025-26 school year.

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At a glance

564^thof 607 New Jersey districts

Better than 7% of New Jersey districts

Elementary 10 Middle 2 High 3Grades PK, KG-12

1200 Myrtle Avenue
Plainfield, NJ 07063-1139·(908) 731-4200·All New Jersey district rankings →

Statewide performance 2017–2026

2026: better than 7.1% of districts

Schools

8,522

Students

Top rankedFrederic W. Cook Elementary School592^nd of 1,331 New Jersey elementary schools

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Biggest riser

Plainfield Academy For The Arts & Advanced Studies up 56 spots statewide this year

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Smallest classes

Frederic W. Cook Elementary School 5.5 students per teacher

SchoolDigger ratings

1★

0★

2 schools without a SchoolDigger rating (too few tested students)

Compare New Jersey districts →See the top-ranked New Jersey schools →

Summary:

Plainfield Public School District includes 15 schools: 10 elementary schools, two middle schools and three high schools. Elementary proficiency averages across grades 3–5 were 25% in ELA and 24% in math, compared with state averages of 49% and 47%, respectively—a gap of about 24 percentage points in both subjects. The most important finding is that these low overall averages hide substantial differences among schools, including a clear elementary standout.

Frederic W. Cook Elementary led the district’s elementary schools in ELA and math in every tested grade in 2025–26. Its grade 5 ELA proficiency was 63%, versus 11% at Evergreen Elementary; grade 4 ELA was 53% at Cook and 6% at Stillman Elementary. In middle grades, Plainfield Academy for the Arts & Advanced Studies led listed schools in grade 6 and 7 ELA and math, and graduated 100% of students in 2024–25. Hubbard Middle had a standout 97% in grade 8 Algebra I, 23 points above the state result. High-school indicators are less reassuring at some schools: Plainfield High School graduated 70%, compared with 89% statewide, while Pinnacle Academy High School had 75% chronic absenteeism.

Elementary results moved farther from state averages between 2024–25 and 2025–26: ELA averages fell from 27% to 25%, and the gap from the state widened from 23 to 24 points. Math averages were about 24% in both years, while the gap widened from 23 to 24 points. Individual schools can differ from that trend; for example, Cook remained the elementary leader in the latest year. SchoolDigger ranked Cook 592nd of 1,331 schools, with 3 stars, while Plainfield High ranked 413th of 434, with 0 stars. As context, in 2024–25 Cook had a 5.5 student-teacher ratio and 50% free/reduced lunch eligible; Pinnacle had a 22.3 ratio and 75% free/reduced lunch eligible. Some Pinnacle test results are suppressed, so its available scores do not give a complete academic picture.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				NJGPA English Language Arts (2026)	NJGPA Mathematics (2026)	NJSLA-S Science (2026)			NJSLA English Language Arts (2026)							NJSLA Mathematics (2026)						NJSLA Algebra I (2026)				NJSLA Geometry (2026)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	NJGPA English Language Arts 11th Grade	NJGPA Mathematics 11th Grade	NJSLA-S Science 5th Grade	NJSLA-S Science 8th Grade	NJSLA-S Science 11th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 3rd Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 4th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 5th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 6th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 7th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 8th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 9th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 3rd Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 4th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 5th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 6th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 7th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 8th Grade	NJSLA Algebra I 8th Grade	NJSLA Algebra I 9th Grade	NJSLA Algebra I 10th Grade	NJSLA Algebra I End of Course	NJSLA Geometry 9th Grade	NJSLA Geometry End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Pinnacle Academy High School	Public	9-12	209 Berckman St	Plainfield	07062	Union County	Plainfield Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(908) 731-4270	67	3	22.3	74.6%	0 (0.0%)	12 (17.9%)	55 (82.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)	21.9																								$39,147	$883	$38,264
Plainfield Academy For The Arts & Advanced Studies	Public	6-12	1700 West Front St	Plainfield	07063	Union County	Plainfield Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(908) 731-4421	357	40	8.9	77.3%	2 (0.6%)	112 (31.4%)	239 (66.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.1%)	31.4	301^st of 434 public high schools	30.6%		20.5	357^th of 434 public high schools	17.7%	56	72.5	47.8		5.7	18.8				67.8	71.0	51.5	45.0				28.6	35.5	14.3		13.1		13.1	18.2	18.2	$31,929	$768	$31,161
Plainfield High School	Public	9-12	950 Park Avenue	Plainfield	07060	Union County	Plainfield Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(908) 731-4390	2,077	156	13.3	75.4%	17 (0.8%)	326 (15.7%)	1,708 (82.2%)	8 (0.4%)	4 (0.2%)	3 (0.1%)	11 (0.5%)	8.9	413^th of 434 public high schools	4.8%		8	425^th of 434 public high schools	2.1%	12	42.3	28.1			9.8							16.2								4.9		4.8	14.6	14.6	$23,483	$778	$22,705
Hubbard Middle School	Public	6-8	661 W Eighth St	Plainfield	07060	Union County	Plainfield Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(908) 731-4320	737	66	11.1	86.4%	4 (0.5%)	81 (11.0%)	647 (87.8%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	14.5	652^nd of 743 public middle schools	12.2%		14.8	659^th of 752 public middle schools	12.4%	7				1.2					15.7	20.8	24.1					9.6	14.6	17.6	97.1			97.1			$23,323	$777	$22,546
Maxson Middle School	Public	6-8	920 E Seventh St	Plainfield	07062	Union County	Plainfield Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(908) 731-4310	721	78	9.2	76.7%	6 (0.8%)	106 (14.7%)	601 (83.4%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	11.1	685^th of 743 public middle schools	7.8%		12.7	678^th of 752 public middle schools	9.8%	7				1.7					21.6	21.7	24.3					12.1	9.7	6.4	45.7			45.7			$24,025	$780	$23,245
Dewitt D. Barlow Elementary School	Public	K-5	E Front St & Farragut Rd	Plainfield	07060	Union County	Plainfield Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(908) 731-4300	423	33	12.6	83.2%	8 (1.9%)	37 (8.7%)	375 (88.7%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	12.1	1202^nd of 1331 public elementary schools	9.7%		14.1	1189^th of 1347 public elementary schools	11.7%	13			8.2			17.2	22.3	24.6					28.8	22.3	14.7										$28,695	$1,063	$27,632
Cedarbrook Elementary School	Public	K-8	1049 Central Ave	Plainfield	07060	Union County	Plainfield Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(908) 731-4280	671	60	11.1	69.2%	5 (0.7%)	188 (28.0%)	463 (69.0%)	4 (0.6%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.4%)	6 (0.9%)	13	1182^nd of 1331 public elementary schools	11.2%		14.8	1177^th of 1347 public elementary schools	12.6%	5			2.4	30.6		27.0	20.2	21.7	28.1	30.7	30.6		35.1	18.8	14.5	15.5	14.1	3.8	34.8			34.8			$23,366	$957	$22,409
Clinton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	West 4th St And Clinton Ave	Plainfield	07063	Union County	Plainfield Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(908) 731-4220	386	37	10.5	83.9%	2 (0.5%)	61 (15.8%)	317 (82.1%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.0%)	12.4	1193^rd of 1331 public elementary schools	10.4%		12.7	1205^th of 1347 public elementary schools	10.5%	12			3.4			25.5	22.9	25.8					34.6	9.8	17.2										$29,222	$1,102	$28,120
Frederic W. Cook Elementary School	Public	K-6	739 Leland Ave	Plainfield	07062	Union County	Plainfield Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(908) 731-4215	198	36	5.5	49.5%	5 (2.5%)	107 (54.0%)	79 (39.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.5%)	4 (2.0%)	56.9	592^nd of 1331 public elementary schools	55.5%		57.4	580^th of 1347 public elementary schools	56.9%	12			29.6			55.9	53.3	63.0	52.2				50.0	43.3	51.8	34.7									$30,429	$753	$29,676
Emerson Community School	Public	K-5	305 Emerson Ave	Plainfield	07062	Union County	Plainfield Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(908) 731-4205	414	36	11.5	72.7%	6 (1.4%)	105 (25.4%)	296 (71.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	3 (0.7%)	23.7	1022^nd of 1331 public elementary schools	23.2%		31.9	931^st of 1347 public elementary schools	30.9%	91			14.7			39.3	28.2	36.8					44.2	17.7	26.5										$29,099	$1,079	$28,020
Evergreen Elementary School	Public	K-5	1033 Evergreen Ave	Plainfield	07060	Union County	Plainfield Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(908) 731-4260	398	47	8.5	75.1%	8 (2.0%)	36 (9.0%)	350 (87.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.8%)	9.1	1253^rd of 1331 public elementary schools	5.9%		8.9	1272^nd of 1347 public elementary schools	5.6%	19			3.6			15.8	28.0	10.9					11.8	19.3	20.0										$28,929	$1,073	$27,856
Jefferson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1700 W. Front St	Plainfield	07063	Union County	Plainfield Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(908) 731-4250	383	38	10.2	82.5%	5 (1.3%)	31 (8.1%)	342 (89.3%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	10.7	1227^th of 1331 public elementary schools	7.8%		15.1	1172^nd of 1347 public elementary schools	13.0%	55			3.6			17.8	14.3	25.0					21.4	19.0	26.8										$28,509	$1,098	$27,411
Charles H. Stillman Elementary School	Public	K-5	201 W Fourth St	Plainfield	07062	Union County	Plainfield Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(908) 731-4240	317	28	11.3	87.4%	1 (0.3%)	31 (9.8%)	283 (89.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	7.6	1272^nd of 1331 public elementary schools	4.4%		10	1255^th of 1347 public elementary schools	6.8%	17			4.6			12.2	6.1	22.7					23.8	8.1	18.1										$27,124	$1,139	$25,985
Washington Community School	Public	PK, KG-5	427 Darrow Ave	Plainfield	07060	Union County	Plainfield Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(908) 731-4230	557	45	12.3	87.6%	4 (0.7%)	44 (7.9%)	504 (90.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	3 (0.5%)	9.8	1241^st of 1331 public elementary schools	6.8%		9.3	1266^th of 1347 public elementary schools	6.0%	25			5.4			17.4	13.8	20.7					23.3	23.0	17.4										$22,507	$1,001	$21,506
Charles and Anna Booker Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	730 Central Street	Plainfield	07062	Union County	Plainfield Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(908) 731-4290	816	34	24.0	85.9%	6 (0.7%)	69 (8.5%)	728 (89.2%)	7 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (0.7%)	7.9	1267^th of 1331 public elementary schools	4.8%		7.8	1287^th of 1347 public elementary schools	4.5%	20			7.0			18.4	10.6	18.3					17.6	12.2	17.4										$22,913	$771	$22,142
Plainfield Early Learning Center	Public	PK	510 Grant Ave	Plainfield	07063	Union County	Plainfield Public School District	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(908) 731-4200	0			—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
North Plainfield School District	0.55 mi	6	557^th
College Achieve Central Charter School	0.64 mi	1
Barack Obama Green Charter School District	0.69 mi	1	596^th
Central Jersey Arts Charter School	0.75 mi	1
Union County TEAMS Charter School-High School/College LA	1.23 mi	1

See the top NJ New Jersey districts

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the New Jersey Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.