The Plainfield Public School District is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in kindergarten through twelfth grade from Plainfield, in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The district is one of 31 former Abbott districts statewide that were established pursuant to the decision by the New Jersey Supreme Court in Abbott v. Burke which are now referred to as "SDA Districts" based on the requirement for the state to cover all costs for school building and renovation projects in these districts under the supervision of the New Jersey Schools Development Authority.

As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of 13 schools, had an enrollment of 9,363 students and 615.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 15.2:1.

The district is classified by the New Jersey Department of Education as being in District Factor Group "B", the second lowest of eight groupings. District Factor Groups organize districts statewide to allow comparison by common socioeconomic characteristics of the local districts. From lowest socioeconomic status to highest, the categories are A, B, CD, DE, FG, GH, I and J.

Schools

Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are:

Elementary schools

• DeWitt D. Barlow Elementary School (373 students; in grades K-5)
  • Wilson Aponte, principal
• Cedarbrook Elementary School (699; K-8)
  • Frank Asante, principal
• Clinton Elementary School (380; K-5)
  • Janet Grooms, principal
• Frederic W. Cook Elementary School (367; K-5)
  • Caryn Cooper, principal
• Emerson Elementary School (459; K-5)
  • Dion Roach, principal
• Evergreen Elementary School (531; K-5)
  • Miguelina Landisi, principal
• Jefferson Elementary School (419; K-5)
  • Telaya Parham, principal
• Charles H. Stillman Elementary School (311; K-5)
  • Gwynetta Y. Joe, principal
• Washington Community School (576; K-5)
  • Anthony Jenkins, principal

Middle schools

• Hubbard Middle School (715; 6-8)
  • Olivia Rodríguez-Calderon, principal
• Maxson Middle School (726; 6-8)
  • Lisa Armstead, principal

High schools / academies

• Plainfield Academy for the Arts and Advanced Studies (396; 7-12)
  • Gregory Sneed, principal
• Plainfield High School (741; 9-12)
  • Kevin Stansbury, principal

In August 2017, the district received approval from the New Jersey Schools Development Authority to construct a new elementary school that will replace the Cook and Woodland Avenue schools, which will both be demolished when the new school is completed. The new facility, which would accommodate 750 students in grades K-5, is expected to be completed in 2022 at a cost of $57 million.

Administration

Core members of the district's administration are:

• Rashon K. Hasan, Superintendent of Schools
• Cameron E. Cox, Business Administrator and Board Secretary

Board of education

The district's board of education, comprised of nine members, sets policy and oversees the fiscal and educational operation of the district through its administration. As a Type II school district, the board's trustees are elected directly by voters to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with three seats up for election each year held (since 2017) as part of the November general election. The board appoints a superintendent to oversee the district's day-to-day operations and a business administrator to supervise the business functions of the district.