Somers Point School District

The Somers Point School District in New Jersey operates two elementary schools: Jordan Road Elementary School and Dawes Avenue Elementary School. Both schools serve students from pre-kindergarten through 6th grade and face significant challenges, as evidenced by their consistently low statewide rankings and academic performance.

Neither Jordan Road Elementary nor Dawes Avenue Elementary stand out as high-performing schools. Both have relatively low statewide rankings, with Jordan Road ranked around the bottom 25% of New Jersey middle schools and Dawes Avenue ranked around the bottom 20% of New Jersey elementary schools. The schools' test scores on the NJSLA assessments are consistently below the state averages across all grade levels and subject areas, with proficiency rates ranging from 21.3% to 40.7% in English Language Arts and 8.7% to 29.7% in mathematics, compared to state averages of 52.7% to 57.1% and 20.7% to 46.7%, respectively.

Additionally, both schools face high rates of chronic absenteeism, with 14.9% of students chronically absent in the 2023-2024 school year, significantly above the state average. The schools also serve a population with significant socioeconomic challenges, as evidenced by the high percentages of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, at 63.54% for Jordan Road Elementary and 62.84% for Dawes Avenue Elementary. Despite the higher spending per student, at $17,522 for Jordan Road Elementary and $14,096 for Dawes Avenue Elementary, the schools continue to underperform, suggesting that a comprehensive approach to addressing the underlying issues may be necessary to improve educational outcomes for students in the Somers Point School District.