Middle Schools in Pemberton Township School District

The Pemberton Township School District in New Jersey operates two middle schools: Helen A. Fort Middle School and Marcus W. Newcomb Middle School. Both schools serve students in grades 6-8 and face significant challenges in providing a high-quality education to their students.

Academically, both Helen A. Fort Middle School and Marcus W. Newcomb Middle School perform well below the state average on standardized tests, with low proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics. The one exception is the Algebra I proficiency rate at Helen A. Fort, which is significantly higher than the district and state averages. However, the schools struggle with high chronic absenteeism rates, with 14.9% of students chronically absent at both schools in the 2023-2024 school year.

Socioeconomic factors also play a role, as a large percentage of students at both schools qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, with over 60% of students meeting this criteria. Additionally, the per-student spending at Helen A. Fort Middle School is higher than at Marcus W. Newcomb, which may indicate an imbalance in resource allocation that could be contributing to the performance gap between the two schools. Overall, the Pemberton Township School District faces significant challenges in providing a high-quality education to its middle school students, and comprehensive strategies may be needed to address these issues and improve student outcomes.