Best Elementary Schools in Newark, NJ

The city of Newark, New Jersey is home to 51 elementary schools, all of which are part of the Newark Public School District. The district is ranked 534 out of 609 districts in New Jersey and is rated 1 star out of 5 by SchoolDigger. However, a few schools in the district stand out as performing better than the district and state averages.

Robert Treat Academy Charter School, Philip's Academy Charter School, and The Gray Charter School are three high-performing charter schools that consistently outperform the district and state in both English Language Arts and Mathematics. Michelle Obama Elementary School, a public school, also stands out as a strong performer, ranking in the top 20% of elementary schools statewide.

However, the majority of the schools in the district struggle, with chronic absenteeism rates significantly higher than the state average and test scores generally below state averages. The schools also have high percentages of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage. While spending per student varies widely, the higher-spending schools tend to be the smaller, lower-performing schools, suggesting that simply increasing funding may not be the sole solution. Overall, the data highlights the significant challenges facing the Newark Public School District, but also points to the potential for improvement through targeted interventions and the adoption of successful practices from the higher-performing schools in the area.