Dunellen High School

Summary:

Dunellen High School is a public high school in Dunellen, New Jersey, serving grades 9-12 with a student population of 389. The school is part of the Dunellen Public School District, which is ranked 523 out of 613 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Academically, Dunellen High School has consistently ranked in the bottom half of New Jersey high schools over the past 10 years, with only 56.2% of 9th graders proficient or better in English Language Arts and single-digit proficiency rates in Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II. The school's performance lags behind nearby high schools like Watchung Hills Regional High School, Piscataway Township High School, and South Plainfield High School, which have significantly higher proficiency rates. Dunellen High School's performance also varies across different student subgroups, with particular concerns for Special Education and English Language Learner students.

Despite having a relatively low student-teacher ratio and providing additional support for economically disadvantaged students, Dunellen High School faces challenges in improving its overall academic outcomes. The school's four-year graduation rate of around 91% is slightly below the state average, and its chronic absenteeism rate ranges from 10.7% to 18.1%, which is higher than the state average. Addressing these disparities and improving the school's academic performance should be a priority for the Dunellen Public School District.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 411 First Street
       Dunellen, NJ  08812


(732) 400-5900

District: Dunellen Public School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
324th of 426 New Jersey High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $7,075 Help


Feeder schools for Dunellen High School:

Elementary:    John P. Faber Elementary School
Middle:    Lincoln Middle School

Student/teacher ratio:  11.5 Help
Number of students:  400

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
55.5%
White:
23.3%
African American:
14.8%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  35.5% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Dunellen High School ranks worse than 76.1% of high schools in New Jersey. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 22.71. (See more...)
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The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Dunellen High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
Help
The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Student population at Dunellen High School is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (55.5%), White (23.3%), African American (14.8%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 35.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Dunellen High School is 11.5. (See more...)
Help
Compare Dunellen High School employs 34.7 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Dunellen High School is $7,075.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Dunellen High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Dunellen High School 324th of 426 New Jersey public high schools. (See Dunellen High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Dunellen Public School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Dunellen Public School District 523rd of 613 New Jersey school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Dunellen High School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Dunellen High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 50.22 214th 343 37.6%
2004 52.72 209th 348 39.9%
2005 55.54 204th 351 41.9%
2006 44.60 255th 357 28.6%
2007 42.84 253rd 361 29.9%
2008 61.15 178th 359 50.4%
2009 62.97 175th 370 52.7%
2010 52.16 239th 371 35.6%
2011 66.81 154th 378 59.3%
2012 74.00 94th 388 75.8%
2013 61.90 199th 396 49.7%
2014 56.35 238th 411 42.1%
2015 26.51 311th 406 23.4%
2016 40.65 218th 409 46.7%
2017 38.27 232nd 411 43.6%
2018 33.67 264th 415 36.4%
2019 29.45 277th 416 33.4%
2021 36.26 223rd 405 44.9%
2022 27.57 283rd 415 31.8%
2023 23.21 318th 422 24.6%
2024 22.71 324th 426 23.9%
See the entire list of New Jersey High School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Dunellen High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 68.77 22nd 146 84.9%
2019 39.84 67th 138 51.4%
2023 45.71 65th 161 59.6%
2024 31.01 126th 179 29.6%
See the entire list of Best New Jersey High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Dunellen High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 24.94 294th 355 17.2%
2019 16.00 339th 349 2.9%
2022 14.36 341st 344 0.9%
2023 45.65 138th 339 59.3%
See the entire list of Best New Jersey High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Dunellen High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 38.17 208th 345 39.7%
2019 31.67 237th 347 31.7%
2021 44.68 156th 326 52.1%
2022 56.78 85th 324 73.8%
2023 34.88 204th 344 40.7%
2024 27.84 263rd 350 24.9%
See the entire list of Best New Jersey High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Dunellen High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 30.10 289th 403 28.3%
2019 35.05 246th 408 39.7%
2021 43.12 197th 402 51.0%
2022 25.03 301st 414 27.3%
2023 21.42 313th 416 24.8%
2024 24.62 300th 416 27.9%
See the entire list of Best New Jersey High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Dunellen High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 42.51 188th 405 53.6%
2019 36.36 223rd 407 45.2%
2021 29.30 273rd 402 32.1%
2022 43.93 173rd 410 57.8%
2023 24.07 288th 414 30.4%
2024 19.37 323rd 415 22.2%
See the entire list of Best New Jersey High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Dunellen High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 36.62 174th 266 34.6%
2019 25.34 201st 254 20.9%
2021 68.89 41st 247 83.4%
2022 40.28 128th 256 50.0%
2023 20.40 217th 250 13.2%
2024 48.61 97th 260 62.7%
See the entire list of Best New Jersey High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Dunellen High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 33.77 246th 368 33.2%
2019 32.45 242nd 364 33.5%
2021 39.87 208th 374 44.4%
2022 44.82 167th 382 56.3%
2023 31.93 245th 385 36.4%
2024 26.30 288th 394 26.9%
See the entire list of Best New Jersey High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Dunellen High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 41.62 170th 340 50.0%
2019 44.63 148th 339 56.3%
2021 34.88 192nd 336 42.9%
2022 41.07 168th 335 49.9%
2023 34.09 191st 335 43.0%
2024 20.99 262nd 337 22.3%
See the entire list of Best New Jersey High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: New Jersey Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Dunellen High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: New Jersey Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Dunellen High School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 366 9 6 7 0 n/a n/a 0 388
1989 341 10 7 10 0 n/a n/a 0 368
1990 351 11 6 11 1 n/a n/a 0 380
1991 317 17 8 22 1 n/a n/a 0 365
1992 296 18 11 33 1 n/a n/a 0 359
1993 282 21 11 29 1 n/a n/a 0 344
1994 291 19 8 32 0 n/a n/a 0 350
1995 260 18 11 54 0 n/a n/a 0 343
1996 260 18 11 54 0 n/a n/a 0 343
1998 175 10 7 43 5 n/a n/a 0 240
1999 185 16 9 59 0 n/a n/a 0 269
2000 200 21 9 53 0 n/a n/a 0 283
2001 198 15 18 57 0 n/a n/a 0 288
2002 202 13 13 78 0 n/a n/a 0 306
2003 202 13 13 78 0 n/a n/a 0 306
2004 213 20 9 90 0 n/a n/a 0 332
2005 222 20 16 89 0 n/a n/a 0 347
2006 204 21 16 93 0 n/a n/a 0 334
2007 199 19 12 88 0 n/a n/a 0 318
2008 184 25 14 97 0 n/a n/a 0 320
2009 173 27 14 86 0 0 3 0 303
2010 175 35 15 93 0 0 2 0 320
2011 164 28 10 89 0 0 9 0 300
2012 166 37 13 110 0 0 7 0 333
2013 156 37 14 107 0 0 8 0 322
2014 148 41 11 117 0 0 7 0 324
2015 147 44 18 123 0 0 0 0 332
2016 137 39 21 135 0 0 0 0 332
2017 146 44 21 153 0 0 0 0 364
2018 144 34 23 171 0 0 0 0 372
2019 140 38 24 166 0 0 1 0 369
2020 120 40 19 174 0 1 1 0 355
2021 114 38 16 180 0 1 1 0 350
2022 107 39 17 180 0 1 5 0 349
2023 106 50 16 210 0 1 6 0 389
2024 93 59 18 222 0 0 8 0 400

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Dunellen High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 388 39.0 9.9 n/a
1989 368 38.0 9.6 n/a
1990 380 40.0 9.5 3.4
1991 365 40.0 9.1 2.7
1992 359 41.0 8.7 8.1
1993 344 40.3 8.5 9.6
1994 350 38.6 9.1 8.6
1995 343 38.3 9.0 11.7
1996 343 38.3 9.0 11.7
1998 240 33.3 7.2 12.1
1999 269 30.9 8.7 12.3
2000 283 30.9 9.2 17.3
2001 288 31.7 9.1 20.1
2002 306 33.0 9.3 16
2003 306 33.0 9.3 16
2004 332 34.0 9.8 21.7
2005 347 32.6 10.6 n/a
2006 334 20.0 16.7 31.7
2007 318 21.0 15.1 28.9
2008 320 18.0 17.8 24.7
2009 303 25.9 11.9 29.7
2010 320 19.0 16.8 33.1
2011 300 17.0 17.6 35
2012 333 23.9 13.8 37.5
2013 322 30.2 10.6 33.2
2014 324 30.1 10.7 36.7
2015 332 30.0 11.0 44.3
2016 332 30.0 11.0 45.2
2017 364 29.0 12.5 44.8
2018 372 31.4 11.8 43.5
2019 369 32.4 11.3 45.3
2020 355 32.9 10.7 44.2
2021 350 33.9 10.3 46
2022 349 33.9 10.2 n/a
2023 389 31.2 12.4 39.8
2024 400 34.7 11.5 35.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Dunellen High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 388 39.0 9.9 n/a
1989 368 38.0 9.6 n/a
1990 380 40.0 9.5 3.4
1991 365 40.0 9.1 2.7
1992 359 41.0 8.7 8.1
1993 344 40.3 8.5 9.6
1994 350 38.6 9.1 8.6
1995 343 38.3 9.0 11.7
1996 343 38.3 9.0 11.7
1998 240 33.3 7.2 12.1
1999 269 30.9 8.7 12.3
2000 283 30.9 9.2 17.3
2001 288 31.7 9.1 20.1
2002 306 33.0 9.3 16
2003 306 33.0 9.3 16
2004 332 34.0 9.8 21.7
2005 347 32.6 10.6 n/a
2006 334 20.0 16.7 31.7
2007 318 21.0 15.1 28.9
2008 320 18.0 17.8 24.7
2009 303 25.9 11.9 29.7
2010 320 19.0 16.8 33.1
2011 300 17.0 17.6 35
2012 333 23.9 13.8 37.5
2013 322 30.2 10.6 33.2
2014 324 30.1 10.7 36.7
2015 332 30.0 11.0 44.3
2016 332 30.0 11.0 45.2
2017 364 29.0 12.5 44.8
2018 372 31.4 11.8 43.5
2019 369 32.4 11.3 45.3
2020 355 32.9 10.7 44.2
2021 350 33.9 10.3 46
2022 349 33.9 10.2 n/a
2023 389 31.2 12.4 39.8
2024 400 34.7 11.5 35.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Dunellen High School

Help

YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2019 $7,075

Data source: New Jersey Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Dunellen High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 277th of 416 High schoolsRanks 318th of 422 High schools
 8.8%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
9th Grade English Language Arts (Dunellen High School)48.144.8
 3.3%
   9th Grade English Language Arts (Dunellen Public School District)48.144.8
 3.3%
   9th Grade English Language Arts (New Jersey)55.952.1
 3.8%
9th Grade Algebra I (Dunellen High School)10.36.6
 3.7%
   9th Grade Algebra I (Dunellen Public School District)10.36.6
 3.7%
   9th Grade Algebra I (New Jersey)27.219.2
 8%
9th Grade Geometry (Dunellen High School)57.136.9
 20.2%
   9th Grade Geometry (Dunellen Public School District)57.136.9
 20.2%
   9th Grade Geometry (New Jersey)59.150
 9.1%
10th Grade Geometry (Dunellen High School)3.82.6
 1.2%
   10th Grade Geometry (Dunellen Public School District)3.82.6
 1.2%
   10th Grade Geometry (New Jersey)15.37.7
 7.6%
10th Grade Algebra II (Dunellen High School)63.625
 38.6%
   10th Grade Algebra II (Dunellen Public School District)63.625
 38.6%
   10th Grade Algebra II (New Jersey)50.832.9
 17.9%
End of Course Algebra I (Dunellen High School)9.56.4
 3.1%
   End of Course Algebra I (Dunellen Public School District)22.817.8
 5%
   End of Course Algebra I (New Jersey)43.335.1
 8.2%
End of Course Geometry (Dunellen High School)11.79.1
 2.6%
   End of Course Geometry (Dunellen Public School District)11.79.1
 2.6%
   End of Course Geometry (New Jersey)32.251.2
 19%
End of Course Algebra II (Dunellen High School)63.625
 38.6%
   End of Course Algebra II (Dunellen Public School District)63.625
 38.6%
   End of Course Algebra II (New Jersey)56.361.7
 5.4%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students369389
 5.4%
African American3850
 31.6%
American Indian00
Asian2416
 33.3%
Hispanic166210
 26.5%
Pacific Islander01
White140106
 24.3%
Two or More Races16
 500%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients45.3%39.8%
 5.4%


Schools Near Dunellen High School









Frequently Asked Questions about Dunellen High School

In the 2023-24 school year, 400 students attended Dunellen High School.

Dunellen High School ranks in the bottom 23.9% of New Jersey high schools.

Dunellen High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : John P. Faber Elementary School
Middle : Lincoln Middle School

Students at Dunellen High School are 56% Hispanic, 23% White, 15% African American, 5% Asian, 2% Two or more races.


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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.





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