County directory · New Jersey · 2026–27
School districts in Essex County, NJ
Essex County has 22 regular public school districts, enrolling 127,135 students in 2024–25. The largest is Newark Public School District (44,199 students, 35% of the county), followed by East Orange School District and Irvington Public School District. 21 of the 22 offer kindergarten. New Jersey's kindergarten cutoff: turn 5 by October 1 (a minimum; districts may admit younger).
The 22 districts, largest first
| District and office | Grades | Schools | Students | Kindergarten | District office contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newark Public School District 765 Broad Street, Newark | Pre-K–12 | 65 | 44,199 | 2,812 | (973) 733-7333 |
| East Orange School District 199 4th Ave, East Orange | Pre-K–12 | 19 | 9,412 | 603 | (973) 266-5760 |
| Irvington Public School District 1 UNIVERSITY PLACE, Irvington | Pre-K–12 | 12 | 8,265 | 603 | (973) 399-6800 |
| South Orange-Maplewood School District 525 Academy Street, Maplewood | Pre-K–12 | 10 | 7,142 | 511 | (973) 762-5600 |
| West Orange Public Schools 179 Eagle Rock Ave., West Orange | Pre-K–12 | 13 | 7,119 | 478 | (973) 669-5400 |
| Bloomfield Township School District 155 Broad Street, Bloomfield | Pre-K–12 | 11 | 6,468 | 469 | (973) 680-8500 |
| Livingston Board of Education School District 11 Foxcroft Drive, Livingston | Pre-K–12 | 9 | 6,410 | 351 | (973) 535-8000 |
| Montclair Public School District 22 Valley Rd., Montclair | Pre-K–12 | 11 | 6,278 | 397 | (973) 509-4000 |
| ORANGE BOARD OF EDUCATION School District 451 LINCOLN AVENUE, ORANGE | Pre-K–12 | 12 | 5,967 | 394 | (973) 677-4000 |
| Belleville Public School District 56 Ralph St, Belleville | Pre-K–12 | 10 | 5,071 | 310 | (973) 450-3500 |
| Millburn Township School District 434 Millburn Avenue, Millburn | Pre-K–12 | 8 | 4,577 | 258 | (973) 376-3600 |
| Nutley Public School District 777 Bloomfield Ave, NUTLEY | Pre-K–12 | 8 | 4,356 | 288 | (973) 661-3500 |
| Caldwell-West School District 104 GRAY STREET, WEST CALDWELL | Pre-K–12 | 7 | 2,561 | 165 | (973) 228-6979 |
| Verona Public School District 121 Fairview Avenue, Verona | Pre-K–12 | 6 | 2,195 | 175 | (973) 571-2029 |
| Glen Ridge Public School District 12 High Street, Glen Ridge | Pre-K–12 | 5 | 1,768 | 104 | (973) 429-8302 |
| West Essex Regional School District 65 West Greenbrook Road, North Caldwell | 7–12 | 2 | 1,648 | — | (973) 228-1200 |
| Cedar Grove Township School District 520 POMPTON AVE, CEDAR GROVE | Pre-K–12 | 4 | 1,570 | 137 | (973) 239-1550 |
| Fairfield Public School District 15 Knoll Rd, Fairfield | Pre-K–6 | 2 | 715 | 96 | (973) 227-5586 |
| North Caldwell School District 132A Gould Avenue, North Caldwell | Pre-K–6 | 2 | 707 | 100 | (973) 712-4400 |
| Roseland School District 100 Passaic Avenue, Roseland | Pre-K–6 | 1 | 453 | 58 | (973) 226-7644 |
| Essex Fells School District 102 HAWTHORNE ROAD, ESSEX FELLS | Pre-K–6 | 1 | 254 | 32 | (973) 226-0505 |
| Essex Regional Educational Services Commission 333 Fairfield Road, FAIRFIELD | K–12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | (973) 405-6262 |
Essex County at a glance
Together the 22 districts run 221 schools from offices in 21 towns. The smallest by enrollment is Essex Regional Educational Services Commission, with 0 students; the median Essex County district has 4,356. By grade span: 16 Pre-K–12, 4 Pre-K–6, 1 7–12 and 1 K–12. Without kindergarten: West Essex Regional School District (7–12).
Kindergarten in 2024–25, counting the 20 districts that report a K grade: 8,341 children. The biggest kindergarten was Newark Public School District's, with 2,812; East Orange School District had 603, and the smallest, Essex Fells School District, had 32.
Essex County holds 22 of New Jersey's 559 regular districts (3.9%) and 9.8% of its 1,298,502 public school students, ranking 12th of 21 counties by number of districts and 2nd by enrollment. By size, 10 enroll 5,000 or more, 7 enroll 1,000 to 4,999 and 5 have fewer than 1,000 students, and the average school here has about 575 students.
Which district am I in?
Each district draws its own attendance zones, so your home address decides it. There is no address lookup here; ask the district. Each one's own site:
Newark Public School District · East Orange School District · Irvington Public School District · South Orange-Maplewood School District · West Orange Public Schools · Bloomfield Township School District · Livingston Board of Education School District · Montclair Public School District · ORANGE BOARD OF EDUCATION School District · Belleville Public School District · Millburn Township School District · Nutley Public School District · Caldwell-West School District · Verona Public School District · Glen Ridge Public School District · West Essex Regional School District · Cedar Grove Township School District · Fairfield Public School District · North Caldwell School District · Roseland School District · Essex Fells School District · Essex Regional Educational Services Commission
What grade will my child be in?
More in New Jersey
Every New Jersey district by county · New Jersey kindergarten cutoff
More New Jersey county directories: Monmouth County (50) · Morris County (39) · Passaic County (20) · Somerset County (18) · Sussex County (25) · Warren County (22)