Stanhope School District

Stanhope School District has one school, Valley Road School, an elementary school serving prekindergarten through grade 8 with 346 students. In 2025–2026, its grade-level averages were above New Jersey’s in ELA (66% versus 51%), math (47% versus 40%), and science (34% versus 23%). The most important finding is that the school’s overall results compare favorably with the state, though that strength is not consistent in every grade.

Because Valley Road School is the only school in the district, there are no other local schools to rank above or below it. Within the school, results vary sharply: grade 5 math proficiency was 72%, 27 points above the state, while grade 8 math was 12%, 11 points below. Grade 8 math is the clearest area to investigate, particularly alongside the strong Algebra I end-of-course result of 77%, compared with 40% statewide—a 37-point advantage. ELA was the school’s strongest broad subject, with a 15-point advantage over the state; its science advantage was 11 points.

Results and SchoolDigger rankings improved in the latest year, although changes differed by grade. From 2024–2025 to 2025–2026, the school’s average rose by 1 point in ELA, 3 in math, and 4 in science, and its advantage over the state widened in all three subjects. SchoolDigger ranked Valley Road School at the 67th percentile with 3 stars in 2023–2024, the 65th percentile with 3 stars in 2024–2025, and the 71st percentile with 4 stars in 2025–2026. For context, the school’s student–teacher ratio was 10.2 in 2024–2025, and 24% of students were reported as free/reduced lunch eligible in school year 2024–2025. Chronic absenteeism was 9%, matching the district and 6 points below the state. With only one school represented, these figures cannot support comparisons among schools in the area.