Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
High· 17 schools in district

Passaic High School No. 12

170 Paulison Ave., Passaic, NJ 07055Passaic City School District →
Federal DataRegular SchoolGrades 09–12Non-Charter
2,596
Students
Total enrolled
69%
Grad Rate
Nat'l avg 87%
↓ 20% vs nat'l
$36,042
Per-Pupil Spend
Nat'l avg $14,347
↑ 151% vs nat'l
15.3 : 1
Student:Teacher
Nat'l avg 15.4:1
~avg
46/100
Opportunity Score
Neighborhood outcomes
~avg
⇄ Compare with another school
Large public school
Serves 2,596 students in grades 09–12 in Passaic, New Jersey.
151% above average funding
District spends $36,042 per pupil, 151% more than the national average of $14,347.
Near-median opportunity
Children from this neighborhood historically reach the 46th income percentile as adults, per Harvard/Census Opportunity Atlas data.
About This School

Passaic High School No. 12 is a very large high in Passaic, New Jersey, serving grades 09–12 with 2,596 students. The district invests $36,042 per student — 151% above the national average of $14,347, with a 15.3:1 student-teacher ratio near the national norm. About 99% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting significant economic challenges in the surrounding community. The 69% graduation rate is below the national average of 87%, a data point worth exploring further during a school visit.

Student Body & Demographics at Passaic High School No. 12

2,596
Total Students
15.3 : 1
Student:Teacher
99%
Free Lunch
170
Teacher FTE
Grade Range
PK
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Highlighted grades (09–12) are served by this school
Gender Distribution1,458 male · 1,138 female
56%
44%
Male 56%Female 44%
Free / Reduced Lunch Eligibility99%
National avg 52% · 2,579 students
Student Composition
96%
Hispanic / Latino96%
Black3%
NCES Common Core of Data · Race/ethnicity self-reported · NCES ID: 341254004836

Academic Outcomes at Passaic High School No. 12

Graduation Rate (Adjusted Cohort)
69
Below avg
National avg 87%
Graduation Rate Comparison
This school
69%
State avg
92%
National avg
87%
Neighborhood Opportunity Score
46
/ 100
Near-median opportunity

Children from modest-income families in this neighborhood reach the 46th income percentile as adults. This school is in the 62th percentile nationally.

0 — Low50 — MedianHigh — 100
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census) · Census tract · ZIP 07055

School Resources & Funding

Per-Pupil Expenditure$36,042Above avg
National avg $14,347
Per-Pupil Spending Comparison
This school
$36,042
State avg
$47,079
National avg
$14,347
How School Funding Is Typically Spent
44%
19%
12%
15%
Instruction$15,858
Student Support$6,848
Administration$4,325
Operations$5,406
Other$3,604
Estimated using national average spending distribution (NCES) · School-level breakdowns not publicly reported
Of the $36,042 spent per student, an estimated $15,966 (~44%) goes directly to classroom instruction.
Where Funding Comes From
83%
State government
82.9%
Local (property tax)
4.4%
Federal programs
12.7%
NCES F-33 Finance Survey · District-level data applied to this school
Strengths & Considerations
Strengths
  • Above-average funding — $36,042/student vs $14,347 nationally
  • Traditional public school — open enrollment, no application process required
Worth Considering
  • 69% graduation rate — below the national average of 87%
  • 99% of students on free or reduced lunch — a high share that can indicate resource pressure
Strengths and considerations are derived from federal data thresholds — not editorial judgements. See data sources below.
K–12 Pathway in District
Elementary
William B. Cruise Memorial School No. 11Daniel F. Ryan Elementary School No. 19Mario Drago School No. 3Martin Luther King Jr. School No. 6
+7 more
↓
Middle
Passaic Gifted and Talented Academy School No. 20
↓
High School
Passaic Academy for Science and EngineeringPassaic Preparatory Academy
School Profile
TypeRegular School
LevelHigh
Grades09 – 12
Location—
CountyPassaic County
CharterNo
VirtualNo
DistrictPassaic City School District →
Phone: (973)470-5600
NCES ID: 341254004836
Who Is This School For?

Best suited for families in Passaic seeking a public high school, especially those prioritizing above-average resources and classroom investment. We always recommend an in-person visit and a conversation with current families before making any enrollment decision.

More in Passaic City School District
Elem
William B. Cruise Memorial School No. 11
908 students · KG–08
● 46 opp100% FRL
Mid
Passaic Gifted and Talented Academy School No. 20
756 students · 02–08
● 46 opp100% FRL
High
Passaic Academy for Science and Engineering
745 students · 06–12
● 46 opp100% FRL
Elem
Daniel F. Ryan Elementary School No. 19
731 students · 01–08
● 46 opp100% FRL
High
Passaic Preparatory Academy
713 students · 06–12
● 46 opp100% FRL
Elem
Mario Drago School No. 3
694 students · PK–08
● 46 opp99% FRL
Elem
Martin Luther King Jr. School No. 6
682 students · PK–08
● 46 opp99% FRL
Elem
Sonia Sotomayor School #21
588 students · KG–08
● 46 opp100% FRL
District School Rankings
Location
170 Paulison Ave., Passaic, NJ 07055
Data Sources & Transparency
Enrollment & Profile
NCES Common Core of Data. Grades, enrollment, demographics, school characteristics. Updated annually.
Funding & Spending
NCES F-33 Finance Survey. District-level spending data. School-level breakdowns are not publicly reported.
Graduation Rate
EDFacts Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR). High schools only. Small cohorts may be range-coded for privacy.
Opportunity Score
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census Bureau). Census tract outcomes for children born in the 1980s.
Fact-Based Rankings
Best-school rankings are computed from federal metrics only — enrollment, per-pupil spending, student-teacher ratio, opportunity score, and graduation rate. No editorial opinion or paid placements.
Equity Data (Coming Soon)
AP access, counselor ratios, and chronic absenteeism from the CRDC will be added in a future update.

Questions to Ask on Your School Visit

Research shows the most important factors are invisible in the data. Here is what to ask when you visit.

High
1
What percentage of students take AP or dual enrollment courses?
Indicates academic rigor and college prep
2
What college counseling and application support is provided?
Ratio of students per counselor matters
3
What career and vocational pathways are offered?
CTE programs, internships, industry partnerships
4
How does the school support students at risk of not graduating?
Credit recovery, attendance intervention
5
What's the school's culture around attendance and behavior?
Discipline approach, restorative practices
6
What happens after graduation — where do students go?
Ask about college, career, military outcomes
7
What does the school do with student performance data?
How data is used to personalize instruction
8
How would you describe teacher retention here?
High turnover can disrupt continuity of learning
9
What's the culture around student diversity and inclusion?
How differences are celebrated and managed

Frequently Asked Questions

About this school and the data on this page

About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets — NCES Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Opportunity Atlas — and we work hard to keep them accurate and up to date. That said, federal data is published on an annual cycle, so some figures may not yet reflect the very latest school-year changes or local updates. We recommend using this page as a helpful starting point and cross-checking with the school or district directly, or visiting the NCES Common Core of Data and ed.gov for the most authoritative figures before making any important decisions.