Best Public Schools in Buena, NJ

The city of Buena, New Jersey is home to three schools that are part of the Buena Regional School District: one elementary school, one middle school, and one high school. Unfortunately, the academic performance of these schools is consistently low compared to state averages, with all three schools ranked in the bottom quartile of their respective grade levels in New Jersey.

The Buena Regional High School is ranked 373 out of 434 high schools in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. Similarly, the Buena Regional Middle School is ranked 544 out of 752 middle schools and also has a 1-star rating. The John C. Milanesi Elementary School fares slightly better with a 2-star rating, but is still ranked 915 out of 1,352 elementary schools in New Jersey.

The low performance of these schools is reflected in their test scores, which are significantly below state averages in both English Language Arts and Mathematics across all grade levels. For example, in 2024-2025, only 13% of 9th graders at Buena Regional High School were proficient in ELA, compared to the state average of 49.9%. The schools also struggle with graduation rates, with the high school's four-year graduation rate of 91.3% slightly below the state average. Additionally, the district appears to be underfunded, with per-student spending well below the state average, despite relatively low student-teacher ratios.