Elementary Schools in Atlantic City School District

The Atlantic City School District in New Jersey is home to 10 elementary schools serving grades pre-kindergarten through 8th. While the district as a whole is ranked 529 out of 615 districts in the state and rated 1 star out of 5 by SchoolDigger, a few schools stand out as potential bright spots within the struggling district.

Richmond Avenue School is the highest-ranked elementary school in the district, coming in at 499 out of 1,342 New Jersey elementary schools and earning a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger. This school significantly outperforms the district and state averages on ELA and Math proficiency tests across multiple grade levels. Chelsea Heights School, ranked 688 out of 1,342 and rated 2 stars, also outperforms the district and state on proficiency tests. Additionally, Texas Avenue School stands out for its relatively high percentage of students proficient in Algebra I.

However, the data also reveals significant challenges facing the district as a whole. Several schools have alarmingly high chronic absenteeism rates, with some exceeding 50%. Additionally, all schools serve populations with very high percentages of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating significant economic disadvantages. While the district spends more per student than the state average, and has relatively low student-teacher ratios, these factors have not translated to strong academic performance, with proficiency rates well below state averages across the board. Addressing these systemic issues while learning from the practices of the standout schools could be key to improving educational outcomes for the students of Atlantic City School District.