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J. Ackerman Coles Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-4

113^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,347 New Jersey Elementary Schools

Better than 92% of New Jersey elementary schools

Summary

J. Ackerman Coles Elementary School is a highly-rated public elementary school serving 548 students in grades PK-4 in the affluent community of Scotch Plains, New Jersey. The school is part of the Scotch Plains-Fanwood School District, which is ranked 137 out of 609 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

J. Ackerman Coles consistently outperforms state and district averages in academic metrics, with 78.5% of 3rd graders and 75% of 4th graders proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 61.9% and 74.6% for the district, and 44.9% and 53.6% for the state. In math, the school had 83.2% of 3rd graders and 74% of 4th graders proficient or better, compared to 70% and 73% for the district, and 49.8% and 46.7% for the state. The school's performance is particularly strong for Hispanic and Special Education students, ranking 25th and 221st out of over 1,000 New Jersey elementary schools, respectively.

Compared to other elementary schools in the Scotch Plains-Fanwood district, J. Ackerman Coles generally outperforms them in academic metrics, with higher test scores and lower chronic absenteeism rates. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, J. Ackerman Coles had 78.5% of 3rd graders proficient in ELA, compared to 44.1% at School One Elementary and 67.1% at Howard B. Brunner Elementary. The school has also maintained a high level of performance over the years, with a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger in several recent school years.

526

Students ?

11.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$7,390

Per pupil spending ?

3.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

16 Kevin Road
Scotch Plains, NJ 07076

(908) 757-7555

District: Scotch Plains-Fanwood School District

Students who attend J. Ackerman Coles Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Terrill Middle School
High:	Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

62.5%

Asian:

13.1%

Hispanic:

11.8%

See top rated New Jersey elementary schools

Compare J. Ackerman Coles Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 91st percentile in 2015 → 92nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the New Jersey average (78% vs 49% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 8% of New Jersey elementary schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Scotch Plains-Fanwood School District

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school78%

District avg69%

New Jersey avg49%

113^th of 1,347

New Jersey public elementary schools ?

Top 8%▬ steady since 2015

See the entire ranking list of New Jersey Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 5Elementary Schools in the Scotch Plains-Fanwood School District

137^th of 609Scotch Plains-Fanwood 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	90.1	113 of 1347	91.6%	★★★★★
2024	86.9	178 of 1338	86.7%	★★★★☆
2023	89.0	134 of 1342	90.0%	★★★★★
2022	90.9	114 of 1345	91.5%	★★★★★
2021	85.3	164 of 1317	87.5%	★★★★☆
2019	80.6	266 of 1360	80.4%	★★★★☆
2018	90.0	97 of 1353	92.8%	★★★★★
2017	91.8	59 of 1352	95.6%	★★★★★
2016	87.1	141 of 1346	89.5%	★★★★☆
2015	89.7	117 of 1357	91.4%	★★★★★
2014	81.3	209 of 1363	84.7%	★★★★☆
2013	77.7	300 of 1367	78.1%	★★★★☆
2012	80.4	207 of 1363	84.8%	★★★★☆
2011	79.7	218 of 1360	84.0%	★★★★☆
2010	82.5	140 of 1354	89.7%	★★★★☆
2009	76.8	292 of 1346	78.3%	★★★★☆
2008	76.4	286 of 1338	78.6%	★★★★☆
2007	77.9	206 of 1329	84.5%	★★★★☆
2006	78.9	202 of 1314	84.6%	★★★★☆
2005	71.9	415 of 1303	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2004	72.9	374 of 1298	71.2%	★★★★☆
2003	69.4	453 of 1204	62.4%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	64.9	125 of 330	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	76.1	70 of 340	79.4%	★★★★☆
2023	92.3	1 of 346	99.7%	★★★★★
2022	47.9	192 of 348	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.8	204 of 339	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	67.8	113 of 370	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	69.1	107 of 370	71.1%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	90.2	107 of 1326	91.9%	★★★★★
2024	85.8	167 of 1317	87.3%	★★★★☆
2023	86.6	154 of 1318	88.3%	★★★★☆
2022	92.5	69 of 1326	94.8%	★★★★★
2021	82.3	178 of 1290	86.2%	★★★★☆
2019	79.1	259 of 1331	80.5%	★★★★☆
2018	89.4	83 of 1333	93.8%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	97.5	25 of 1032	97.6%	★★★★★
2024	93.7	51 of 989	94.8%	★★★★★
2023	98.1	15 of 982	98.5%	★★★★★
2022	97.4	21 of 953	97.8%	★★★★★
2021	98.5	19 of 896	97.9%	★★★★★
2019	63.4	272 of 899	69.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	82.5	107 of 870	87.7%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	86.1	151 of 1318	88.5%	★★★★☆
2024	85.3	187 of 1313	85.8%	★★★★☆
2023	89.2	118 of 1315	91.0%	★★★★★
2022	85.8	173 of 1324	86.9%	★★★★☆
2021	86.3	160 of 1297	87.7%	★★★★☆
2019	80.6	236 of 1335	82.3%	★★★★☆
2018	88.8	110 of 1334	91.8%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	72.1	221 of 1023	78.4%	★★★★☆
2024	62.2	279 of 989	71.8%	★★★★☆
2023	91.7	50 of 958	94.8%	★★★★★
2022	77.6	148 of 949	84.4%	★★★★☆
2021	88.0	54 of 868	93.8%	★★★★★
2019	76.2	179 of 1007	82.2%	★★★★☆
2018	90.8	72 of 1001	92.8%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	78.7	172 of 970	82.3%	★★★★☆
2024	71.1	248 of 963	74.2%	★★★★☆
2023	77.0	180 of 975	81.5%	★★★★☆
2022	86.8	76 of 976	92.2%	★★★★★
2021	80.6	123 of 964	87.2%	★★★★☆
2019	72.3	246 of 1023	76.0%	★★★★☆
2018	86.3	74 of 1022	92.8%	★★★★★

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)

Hispanic (2025)98th percentile+6 vs school

Female (2025)92nd percentile~ school

Male (2025)89th percentile-3 vs school

White (2025)82nd percentile-9 vs school

Special Education (2025)78th percentile-13 vs school

Asian (2025)62nd percentile-29 vs school

By subject vs New Jersey (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics79%+31 vs state

English Language Arts77%+28 vs state

★

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Schools Near J. Ackerman Coles Elementary School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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)			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 English Language Arts 3rd Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 4th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 5th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 3rd Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 4th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
J. Ackerman Coles Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	16 Kevin Road	Scotch Plains	07076	Union County	Scotch Plains-Fanwood School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(908) 757-7555	526	44	11.9	3.4%	329 (62.5%)	29 (5.5%)	62 (11.8%)	69 (13.1%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.6%)	33 (6.3%)	90.1	113^th of 1347 public elementary schools	91.6%		86.9	178^th of 1338 public elementary schools	86.7%	65		78.5	75.0		83.2	74.0		$7,390	$09	$7,381
Frederic W. Cook Elementary School	Public	K-5	739 Leland Ave	Plainfield	07062	Union County	Plainfield Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(908) 731-4215	198	36	5.5	49.5%	5 (2.5%)	107 (54.0%)	79 (39.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.5%)	4 (2.0%)	57.4	580^th of 1347 public elementary schools	56.9%		41.3	779^th of 1338 public elementary schools	41.8%	199	24.0	67.8	66.7	84.0	51.6	39.3	24.0	$11,721		$11,721
William J. McGinn Elementary School	Public	K-4	1100 Roosevelt Avenue	Scotch Plains	07076	Union County	Scotch Plains-Fanwood School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(908) 233-7950	543	42	12.7	1.1%	364 (67.0%)	13 (2.4%)	63 (11.6%)	67 (12.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (6.6%)	87.1	169^th of 1347 public elementary schools	87.5%		87.4	162^nd of 1338 public elementary schools	87.9%	7		68.0	78.4		70.2	83.5		$8,178	$04	$8,174
Charles and Anna Booker Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	730 Central Street	Plainfield	07062	Union County	Plainfield Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(908) 731-4290	816	34	24.0	85.9%	6 (0.7%)	69 (8.5%)	728 (89.2%)	7 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (0.7%)	7.8	1287^th of 1347 public elementary schools	4.5%					(n/a)	4.4	6.8	10.7	18.2	30.9	11.4	12.4
Emerson Community School	Public	K-5	305 Emerson Ave	Plainfield	07062	Union County	Plainfield Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(908) 731-4205	414	36	11.5	72.7%	6 (1.4%)	105 (25.4%)	296 (71.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	3 (0.7%)	31.9	931^st of 1347 public elementary schools	30.9%		21.5	1054^th of 1338 public elementary schools	21.2%	123	8.0	47.7	33.9	43.3	53.6	30.8	28.9	$9,801	$208	$9,593
School One Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	563 Willow Avenue	Scotch Plains	07076	Union County	Scotch Plains-Fanwood School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(908) 322-7731	424	34	12.4	9.0%	229 (54.0%)	37 (8.7%)	85 (20.0%)	49 (11.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.4%)	67	455^th of 1347 public elementary schools	66.2%		74.4	361^st of 1338 public elementary schools	73.0%	94		44.1	75.7		54.9	70.5		$8,863	$53	$8,810
Evergreen Elementary School	Public	K-5	1033 Evergreen Ave	Plainfield	07060	Union County	Plainfield Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(908) 731-4260	398	47	8.5	75.1%	8 (2.0%)	36 (9.0%)	350 (87.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.8%)	8.9	1272^nd of 1347 public elementary schools	5.6%		10.5	1229^th of 1338 public elementary schools	8.1%	43	9.0	10.4	15.8	10.6	27.9	20.7	11.9	$9,188	$181	$9,007
Howard B. Brunner Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	721 Westfield Road	Scotch Plains	07076	Union County	Scotch Plains-Fanwood School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(908) 889-2148	434	34	12.9	4.4%	252 (58.1%)	37 (8.5%)	62 (14.3%)	59 (13.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.3%)	89.2	137^th of 1347 public elementary schools	89.8%		89.3	127^th of 1338 public elementary schools	90.5%	10		67.1	85.7		75.8	82.2		$8,968	$35	$8,933
Dewitt D. Barlow Elementary School	Public	K-5	E Front St & Farragut Rd	Plainfield	07060	Union County	Plainfield Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(908) 731-4300	423	33	12.6	83.2%	8 (1.9%)	37 (8.7%)	375 (88.7%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	14.1	1189^th of 1347 public elementary schools	11.7%		12.2	1202^nd of 1338 public elementary schools	10.2%	13	7.2	22.9	21.4	30.4	32.8	20.8	21.4	$10,430	$260	$10,170
McKinley Elementary School	Public	1-5	500 First Street	Westfield	07090	Union County	Westfield Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(908) 789-4555	291	30	9.5	2.1%	190 (65.3%)	3 (1.0%)	38 (13.1%)	35 (12.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (8.6%)	85	196^th of 1347 public elementary schools	85.4%		87.2	171^st of 1338 public elementary schools	87.2%	25	59.7	62.1	76.3	67.2	68.9	80.0	75.4	$6,690	$306	$6,384

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