‘Most Equitable’ NJ Schools List Includes Caldwell-West Caldwell

CALDWELLS, NJ — A report ranked the Caldwell-West Caldwell Public School District as one of the five “most equitable” in New Jersey.

Financial information website WalletHub recently released its list of “Most and Least Equitable School Districts in New Jersey” for 2020. Researchers ranked the Caldwell-West Caldwell district as the fifth-highest in the state.

Only four ranked higher:

• Hainesport Township School District
• Henry Hudson Regional School District
• Estell Manor School District
• Hampton Township School District

WalletHub rated 540 districts in New Jersey based on two metrics: “average household income,” and “expenditures for public elementary and secondary schools per pupil.” See the methodology and full list of New Jersey districts here.

In the Caldwell-West Caldwell district, per pupil expenditures came out to $17,831. Household incomes, meanwhile, averaged $105,267.

“While the U.S. is one of the most educated countries in the world, it doesn’t provide the same quality elementary school or secondary school education to all students,” researchers said. “In many states, more affluent school districts receive a greater amount of funding per student than poorer districts.”

“Discrepancies between the rich and poor have been exacerbated even more this year by the COVID-19 pandemic,” researchers added. “As states decide whether their school districts will have in-person learning this fall, studies show that low-income students will suffer the greatest ‘learning loss’ due to partial or total remote learning.”

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