North Plainfield, a diversified Somerset County district, serves approximately 3,288 pupils from Pre-K through Grade 12. The current budget is approximately 52 million. The district Central Office is located at Watchung School. The Department of Pupil Services is located at Harrison School and elementary Gifted and Talented classes are offered at Stonybrook School.
North Plainfield High School, fully certified by the New Jersey State Department of Education and accredited by the Middle States Association, is proud of its special characteristics and the strength of the educational opportunities for students. With a student population of approximately 1,500 students in grades 7-12, the high school is able to provide a comprehensive curriculum with a variety of electives aimed to promote the development of each student’s individual potential. High school students may select courses that suit both their interests and potential career paths. Honors and advanced placement courses are available for those students who meet the criteria.
High school electives are offered in art, music, theater, technology, journalism, world language, and family and consumer science. The diversified curriculum also includes a Naval Junior ROTC program. The ROTC curriculum emphasizes citizenship and leadership development as well as topics such as the fundamentals of naval operations, seamanship, meteorology and navigation. Other curricular options include opportunities for independent study, community service, distance learning, a shared-time vocational program with Somerset County Vocational and Technical High School, and courses offered through a “concurrent enrollment” partnership for college credit with Raritan Valley Community College. The Middle School offers the 7th and 8th graders a “teaming” approach in their academic program. Each grade has three teams of teachers instructing in the core academic areas. The students also select a world language and elective programs including art, music, and technology.
Somerset School educates all fifth and sixth grade students in the North Plainfield School District. Students from the district's three elementary schools come together for a truly unique intermediate school experience. As its mission, Somerset School is committed to preparing young, emerging adolescent students with the understandings and skills necessary to cope with their own changes from childhood to adolescence. Somerset School is equally committed to preparing them with the academic skills and knowledge essential not only for the transition into the middle and high school grades, but also for life-long achievement and success.
Somerset follows an integrated curriculum that prepares students for the 7-12 high school experience. In addition to a strong core curriculum, Somerset School offers many innovative instructional units. A hands-on approach is utilized in science. Computer instruction is an integral part of the school's curriculum, producing computer literate students.
Three elementary buildings, East End, West End, and Stony Brook, provide K-4 pupils with neighborhood elementary education and modern playground facilities. The University of Chicago mathematics program, an integrated language arts approach to communication skills, portfolio assessments, character education programs, and multi-cultural awareness characterize the current curricular thrust. The district also offers a pre-school program for four-year-olds for 2.5 hours a day during the school year at East End School and with several contracted North Plainfield pre-school providers.
