Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

First Avenue School

Q: Is First Avenue School a good school?

First Avenue School ranks 730 th of 1347 New Jersey elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-8

730^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,347 New Jersey Elementary Schools

Better than 46% of New Jersey elementary schools

Summary

First Avenue School is an elementary school serving grades PK-8 in the Newark Public School District in Newark, New Jersey. The school has 1,057 students and consistently outperforms the district and state in academic proficiency across various grade levels and subjects.

For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, 60% of 5th graders at First Avenue School were proficient or better in NJSLA/English Language Arts, compared to 30.5% for the Newark district and 52.7% for the state. The school also stands out in its performance for certain student subgroups, particularly African American and Hispanic students, ranking in the top 30-40% of New Jersey elementary schools for these groups. However, the school's performance has declined over the years, with its statewide ranking dropping from 586 out of 1,360 New Jersey elementary schools in 2018-2019 to 730 out of 1,347 in 2024-2025.

While First Avenue School outperforms nearby schools in the Newark Public School District, such as Dr. William H. Horton Elementary School and Roberto Clemente Elementary School, the nearby Robert Treat Academy Charter School outperforms First Avenue School in many academic areas. The school's high-poverty student population, with 83.16% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, likely contributes to the academic challenges it faces.

1,084

Students ?

14.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,759

Per pupil spending ?

85.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

214 First Ave
Newark, NJ 07107-1802

(973) 268-5240

District: Newark Public School District

Students who attend First Avenue School usually attend:

High:	Barringer High School
	Central High School
	East Side High School
	Malcolm X Shabazz High School
	More...
	Technology High School
	Weequahic High School
	West Side High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

89.3%

African American:

5.4%

White:

1.8%

See top rated New Jersey elementary schools

Compare First Avenue School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 42nd percentile in 2015 → 46th in 2025

Strengths

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Newark Public School District

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school42%

District avg24%

New Jersey avg44%

Elementary school

730^th of 1,347

New Jersey public elementary schools ?

Bottom 46%▲ up 4 pts since 2015

From bottom 42% (2015) to bottom 46% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of New Jersey Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

451^st of 752

New Jersey public middle schools ?

Bottom 40%▼ down 16 pts since 2015

From top 44% (2015) to bottom 40% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of New Jersey Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 38Elementary Schools in the Newark Public School District

534^th of 609Newark Public School District among New Jersey districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	45.8	730 of 1347	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.2	808 of 1338	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.5	881 of 1342	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	38.8	810 of 1345	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	27.4	902 of 1317	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	60.3	586 of 1360	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	54.4	650 of 1353	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2017	54.8	666 of 1352	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2016	51.9	683 of 1346	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2015	44.9	787 of 1357	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2014	35.9	991 of 1363	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	34.3	1013 of 1367	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	19.0	1154 of 1363	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	25.8	1109 of 1360	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	31.4	1054 of 1354	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	35.1	1013 of 1346	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	35.1	1022 of 1338	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	35.8	1030 of 1329	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	35.4	1004 of 1314	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	31.1	1025 of 1303	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	51.5	799 of 1298	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2003	41.7	818 of 1204	32.1%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2024	72.9	83 of 469	82.3%	★★★★☆
2023	31.6	333 of 463	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	99.7	3 of 494	99.4%	★★★★★
2021	83.6	32 of 456	93.0%	★★★★★
2019	87.8	44 of 522	91.6%	★★★★★
2018	88.0	39 of 517	92.5%	★★★★★

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	51.8	230 of 597	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.7	190 of 559	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	53.5	172 of 499	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.1	138 of 489	71.8%	★★★★☆
2021	44.9	159 of 411	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.2	173 of 463	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	60.1	139 of 434	68.0%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	37.1	836 of 1326	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.0	790 of 1317	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.4	792 of 1318	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.3	674 of 1326	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.9	742 of 1290	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	56.7	607 of 1331	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	48.1	732 of 1333	45.1%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	65.4	295 of 1032	71.4%	★★★★☆
2024	60.0	336 of 989	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	55.2	374 of 982	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	62.3	294 of 953	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	53.1	341 of 896	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	78.6	142 of 899	84.2%	★★★★☆
2018	76.5	150 of 870	82.8%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	75.0	167 of 1023	83.7%	★★★★☆
2024	73.7	157 of 939	83.3%	★★★★☆
2023	70.7	184 of 910	79.8%	★★★★☆
2022	77.9	117 of 863	86.4%	★★★★☆
2021	63.7	191 of 839	77.2%	★★★★☆
2019	84.4	80 of 948	91.6%	★★★★★
2018	83.7	93 of 942	90.1%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	54.5	590 of 1318	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	40.7	758 of 1313	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.7	871 of 1315	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.0	895 of 1324	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	19.9	1006 of 1297	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	62.7	519 of 1335	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	60.8	538 of 1334	59.7%	★★★☆☆

Pacific Islander

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2022	55.0	1 of 2	50.0%	★★★★★
2021	30.0	1 of 2	50.0%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	79.2	162 of 1023	84.2%	★★★★☆
2024	64.5	263 of 989	73.4%	★★★★☆
2023	52.6	372 of 958	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	40.8	480 of 949	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	18.8	737 of 868	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	48.8	445 of 1007	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	44.1	501 of 1001	50.0%	★★★☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	38.6	451 of 752	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.7	476 of 743	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.7	398 of 748	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.1	360 of 745	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	35.0	388 of 652	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	70.6	198 of 745	73.4%	★★★★☆
2018	50.7	355 of 716	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2017	55.7	316 of 712	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2016	55.7	309 of 713	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2015	54.7	314 of 713	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2014	35.1	507 of 717	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	37.0	501 of 704	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	45.1	443 of 677	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2011	51.1	419 of 684	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2010	40.9	469 of 677	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2009	35.6	496 of 664	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	43.4	441 of 640	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2007	29.3	498 of 631	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	41.5	432 of 615	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2005	50.5	381 of 599	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2004	26.3	467 of 588	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2003	33.0	431 of 574	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2024	70.8	68 of 352	80.7%	★★★★☆
2022	73.5	52 of 356	85.4%	★★★★☆
2021	57.3	77 of 291	73.5%	★★★★☆
2019	93.2	11 of 326	96.6%	★★★★★
2018	86.5	22 of 326	93.3%	★★★★★

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	62.0	87 of 343	74.6%	★★★★☆
2024	54.3	103 of 320	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	68.2	48 of 288	83.3%	★★★★☆
2022	54.7	81 of 270	70.0%	★★★★☆
2021	50.6	56 of 197	71.6%	★★★★☆
2019	90.4	15 of 227	93.4%	★★★★★
2018	69.8	35 of 202	82.7%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	46.5	373 of 728	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.4	398 of 717	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.5	354 of 720	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	41.1	406 of 726	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	37.6	362 of 625	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	65.8	240 of 703	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.7	366 of 680	46.2%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	53.6	245 of 608	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.7	279 of 589	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.2	180 of 587	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.6	150 of 591	74.6%	★★★★☆
2021	54.7	179 of 480	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	85.5	41 of 524	92.2%	★★★★★
2018	67.3	128 of 504	74.6%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	61.6	176 of 613	71.3%	★★★★☆
2024	57.7	180 of 584	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	73.1	73 of 568	87.1%	★★★★☆
2022	74.1	62 of 549	88.7%	★★★★☆
2021	66.8	71 of 467	84.8%	★★★★☆
2019	89.5	22 of 541	95.9%	★★★★★
2018	77.8	56 of 522	89.3%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	30.2	495 of 726	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	25.7	525 of 719	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	41.3	387 of 718	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	54.8	282 of 730	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	34.9	373 of 635	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	73.6	181 of 697	74.0%	★★★★☆
2018	51.5	324 of 675	52.0%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	33.6	328 of 507	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.4	222 of 510	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.7	207 of 505	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.8	160 of 535	70.1%	★★★★☆
2021	29.0	288 of 401	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	74.8	80 of 492	83.7%	★★★★☆
2018	48.7	205 of 471	56.5%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Elementary school

Special Education (2025)84th percentile+38 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)84th percentile+38 vs school

African American (2024)82nd percentile+43 vs school

Hispanic (2025)71st percentile+26 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)61st percentile+16 vs school

Male (2025)55th percentile+9 vs school

Pacific Islander (2022)50th percentile+10 vs school

Female (2025)37th percentile-9 vs school

Middle school

African American (2024)81st percentile+45 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)75th percentile+35 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)71st percentile+31 vs school

Hispanic (2025)60th percentile+20 vs school

Female (2025)49th percentile+9 vs school

Special Education (2025)35th percentile-5 vs school

Male (2025)32nd percentile-8 vs school

By subject vs New Jersey (2024-2025) ?

Algebra I91%+46 vs state

English Language Arts52%~ state avg

Mathematics37%-4 vs state

Science15%-10 vs state

1.0

1 rating

5★0

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

Rate First Avenue School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near First Avenue School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				NJSLA-S Science (2025)		NJSLA English Language Arts (2025)						NJSLA Mathematics (2025)						NJSLA Algebra I (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	NJSLA-S Science 5th Grade	NJSLA-S Science 8th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 3rd Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 4th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 5th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 6th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 7th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 8th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 3rd Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 4th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 5th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 6th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 7th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 8th Grade	NJSLA Algebra I 8th Grade	NJSLA Algebra I End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
First Avenue School	Public	PK, KG-8	214 First Ave	Newark	07107	Essex County	Newark Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 268-5240	1,084	76	14.2	85.9%	20 (1.8%)	58 (5.4%)	968 (89.3%)	14 (1.3%)	7 (0.6%)	14 (1.3%)	3 (0.3%)	45.8	730^th of 1347 public elementary schools	45.8%		39.2	808^th of 1338 public elementary schools	39.6%	78	20.5	8.4	45.8	53.8	60.0	42.5	53.7	54.8	58.2	43.2	41.8	28.8	30.9	16.5	91.3	91.3	$8,759	$532	$8,227
Salome Urena Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	284 First Avenue	Newark	07104	Essex County	Newark Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 733-8280	516	30	17.2	87.0%	12 (2.3%)	38 (7.4%)	441 (85.5%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.5%)	7 (1.4%)	5 (1.0%)	16.8	1149^th of 1347 public elementary schools	14.7%		15.1	1141^st of 1338 public elementary schools	14.7%	8	13.0	6.0	25.5	39.6	28.3	14.6	43.5	38.7	29.4	34.7	21.7	7.6	17.4	20.0			$12,232	$137	$12,095
Abington Avenue School	Public	PK, KG-8	209 Abington Avenue	Newark	07107	Essex County	Newark Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 268-5230	842	54	15.5	89.4%	12 (1.4%)	36 (4.3%)	775 (92.0%)	9 (1.1%)	6 (0.7%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	21.4	1072^nd of 1347 public elementary schools	20.4%		15.3	1140^th of 1338 public elementary schools	14.8%	68	17.9	2.0	30.8	28.3	35.5	39.0	33.3	34.8	27.6	32.3	23.2	20.8	26.0	4.0	70.8	70.8	$8,498	$552	$7,946
Branch Brook School	Public	PK, KG-4	228 Ridge St	Newark	07104	Essex County	Newark Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(973) 268-5220	60	9	6.6	65.0%	1 (1.7%)	12 (20.0%)	46 (76.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)																	$13,757	$376	$13,381
Dr. William H. Horton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	291 N 7th St	Newark	07107	Essex County	Newark Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 268-5260	690	48	14.3	88.3%	1 (0.1%)	137 (19.9%)	549 (79.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.4%)	10.8	1238^th of 1347 public elementary schools	8.1%		10.3	1233^rd of 1338 public elementary schools	7.8%	5	0.0	2.0	26.2	14.5	12.7	16.4	18.6	26.3	27.7	28.8	17.7	9.1	19.7	7.8			$9,470	$682	$8,788
Robert Treat Academy Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	443 Clifton Avenue	Newark	07104	Essex County	Robert Treat Academy Charter School	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 482-8811	702	37	18.9	79.1%	8 (1.1%)	222 (31.6%)	450 (64.1%)	5 (0.7%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (2.1%)	63.3	500^th of 1347 public elementary schools	62.9%		56.6	587^th of 1338 public elementary schools	56.1%	87	20.8	17.6	61.1	71.5	59.8	61.1	88.4	78.4	61.1	49.4	53.2	48.1	59.8	18.4	75.0	75.0	$11,271	$984	$10,287
Roberto Clemente Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	257 Summer Ave	Newark	07104	Essex County	Newark Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 268-5290	742	44	16.8	86.7%	13 (1.8%)	80 (10.8%)	641 (86.4%)	2 (0.3%)	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	22.5	1055^th of 1347 public elementary schools	21.7%		16.8	1119^th of 1338 public elementary schools	16.4%	64	3.7	3.4	30.2	36.7	28.6	40.1	26.9	29.4	41.6	39.0	12.2	25.0	12.8	9.6			$10,558	$393	$10,165
Carteret Elementary School	Public	K-6	158 Grove Street	Bloomfield	07003	Essex County	Bloomfield Township School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 680-8580	383	45	8.6	72.6%	33 (8.6%)	68 (17.8%)	264 (68.9%)	12 (3.1%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.8%)	46	725^th of 1347 public elementary schools	46.2%		36.7	847^th of 1338 public elementary schools	36.7%	122	25.6		39.3	56.6	63.4	64.6			35.5	46.6	45.5	22.0					$7,694	$511	$7,183
Shelia Y. Oliver Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	404 North Grove Street	East Orange	07017	Essex County	East Orange School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 266-5860	413	30	13.7	14.8%	9 (2.2%)	323 (78.2%)	66 (16.0%)	2 (0.5%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.4%)	29.6	963^rd of 1347 public elementary schools	28.5%		24.6	1013^th of 1338 public elementary schools	24.3%	50	10.7	10.3	43.9	41.2	23.7	75.0	73.6	58.6	36.6	44.1	20.8	21.9	17.6	34.4			$12,075	$362	$11,713
Franklin Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	42 Park Ave	Newark	07104	Essex County	Newark Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 268-5250	725	55	13.1	91.2%	9 (1.2%)	82 (11.3%)	624 (86.1%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.0%)	13.7	1193^rd of 1347 public elementary schools	11.4%		13.7	1170^th of 1338 public elementary schools	12.6%	23	13.7	9.2	9.7	19.3	30.1	27.8	31.1	41.9	15.8	19.1	27.4	20.3	16.3	11.9			$12,556	$386	$12,170

Frequently Asked Questions about First Avenue School

What schools do graduates of First Avenue School attend?

Students who attend First Avenue School usually go on to attend:

High : Barringer High School
High : Central High School
High : East Side High School
High : Malcolm X Shabazz High School
High : Technology High School
High : Weequahic High School
High : West Side High School

What district is First Avenue School in?

Newark Public School District

Is First Avenue School a good school?

First Avenue School ranks 730^th of 1347 New Jersey elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend First Avenue School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,084 students attended First Avenue School.

What is the racial makeup of First Avenue School?

Students at First Avenue School are 89% Hispanic, 5% African American, 2% White, 1% Asian, 1% Pacific Islander.

Rate First Avenue School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

NJNew Jersey Elementary School Rankings

NJNew Jersey District Rankings

Schools in Newark, NJ

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for First Avenue School!

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the New Jersey Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.