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Joseph T. Donahue Elementary School

Q: Is Joseph T. Donahue Elementary School a good school?

Joseph T. Donahue Elementary School ranks 920 th of 1347 New Jersey elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 3-4

920^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,347 New Jersey Elementary Schools

Better than 32% of New Jersey elementary schools

Summary

Joseph T. Donahue Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades 3-4 in Barnegat, New Jersey, with 498 students. The school is part of the Barnegat Township School District, which is ranked 464 out of 609 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Academically, Joseph T. Donahue Elementary School has shown mixed performance compared to state and district averages. In recent years, the school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics on the NJSLA assessments have been below the state averages, though they have been on par with or slightly above the Barnegat Township School District averages. The school has also had relatively high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 14.9% to 23.8% in recent years, which is higher than the state average. However, the school's per-student spending of $8,441 in 2018-2019 was higher than the spending at the other two Barnegat Township elementary schools.

Interestingly, while the school's overall academic performance is below state averages, its performance for certain student subgroups stands out. For example, the school's African American and Hispanic students have outperformed their statewide peers in recent years. Additionally, compared to the other elementary schools in the Barnegat Township School District, Joseph T. Donahue Elementary School generally performs on par or slightly better in terms of academic proficiency and other key metrics. However, the school's performance lags behind some of the higher-performing elementary schools in neighboring districts, such as McKinley Avenue Elementary School in the Stafford Township School District.

524

Students ?

11.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,441

Per pupil spending ?

49.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

200 Bengal Blvd
Barnegat, NJ 08005

(609) 660-8900

District: Barnegat Township School District

Students who attend Joseph T. Donahue Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Robert L. Horbelt Elementary School
	Russell O. Brackman Middle School
High:	Barnegat High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

60.1%

Hispanic:

21.4%

African American:

9.4%

See top rated New Jersey elementary schools

Compare Joseph T. Donahue Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 30th percentile in 2015 → 32nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the New Jersey average (39% vs 49% meeting standards)

!English Language Arts scores 10 pts below the New Jersey average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school39%

District avg39%

New Jersey avg49%

920^th of 1,347

New Jersey public elementary schools ?

Bottom 32%▲ up 2 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of New Jersey Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

464^th of 609Barnegat Township 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	32.5	920 of 1347	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	49.9	667 of 1338	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.7	590 of 1342	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	50.2	665 of 1345	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	43.0	692 of 1317	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	45.0	786 of 1360	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	31.3	990 of 1353	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	33.4	936 of 1352	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2016	24.8	1058 of 1346	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	31.7	956 of 1357	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	49.7	817 of 1363	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2013	53.9	755 of 1367	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2012	64.0	613 of 1363	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2011	67.0	558 of 1360	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2010	58.7	683 of 1354	49.6%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	52.0	190 of 463	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	70.2	93 of 469	80.2%	★★★★☆
2023	65.5	126 of 463	72.8%	★★★★☆
2022	35.9	326 of 494	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	55.6	154 of 456	66.2%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	36.7	354 of 597	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.9	326 of 559	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	56.5	162 of 499	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	69.5	103 of 489	78.9%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	35.2	855 of 1326	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	49.5	654 of 1317	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	59.7	529 of 1318	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.7	669 of 1326	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.3	754 of 1290	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	50.9	686 of 1331	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.6	938 of 1333	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	35.6	661 of 1032	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	55.5	379 of 989	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	74.1	200 of 982	79.6%	★★★★☆
2022	68.3	237 of 953	75.1%	★★★★☆
2021	49.5	384 of 896	57.1%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	41.1	625 of 1023	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	63.9	251 of 939	73.3%	★★★★☆
2023	65.7	228 of 910	74.9%	★★★★☆
2022	65.2	224 of 863	74.0%	★★★★☆
2021	56.1	274 of 839	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	58.8	301 of 948	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	19.1	844 of 942	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	30.7	901 of 1318	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	50.6	635 of 1313	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	53.2	607 of 1315	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	51.8	621 of 1324	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	49.1	588 of 1297	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	41.1	810 of 1335	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	32.7	926 of 1334	30.6%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	29.0	694 of 1023	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.3	436 of 989	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	37.0	526 of 958	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.4	475 of 949	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	31.0	564 of 868	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	26.4	713 of 1007	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	17.9	829 of 1001	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2025	22.0	798 of 970	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	35.9	644 of 963	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.8	575 of 975	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.0	673 of 976	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.1	656 of 964	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	32.5	734 of 1023	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.5	847 of 1022	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

African American (2025)59th percentile+27 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)41st percentile+9 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)39th percentile+7 vs school

Hispanic (2025)36th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2025)36th percentile+4 vs school

Special Education (2025)32nd percentile~ school

Male (2025)32nd percentile~ school

White (2025)18th percentile-14 vs school

By subject vs New Jersey (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts39%-10 vs state

Mathematics38%-10 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, January 6, 2017

This school is beyond great for my two children. The teachers definitely care and go that extra mile when my children need any help. I couldn't be more happier with results. Close Quote

Schools Near Joseph T. Donahue Elementary 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)				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 English Language Arts 6th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 3rd Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 4th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 5th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 6th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Joseph T. Donahue Elementary School	Public	3-4	200 Bengal Blvd	Barnegat	08005	Ocean County	Barnegat Township School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(609) 660-8900	524	44	11.9	49.6%	315 (60.1%)	49 (9.4%)	112 (21.4%)	13 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	33 (6.3%)	32.5	920^th of 1347 public elementary schools	31.7%		49.9	667^th of 1338 public elementary schools	50.1%	253		31.7	46.2			32.7	44.4			$8,441	$108	$8,333
Cecil S. Collins Elementary	Public	K-2	570 Barnegat Blvd North	Barnegat	08005	Ocean County	Barnegat Township School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(609) 698-5832	744	61	12.1	48.1%	464 (62.4%)	57 (7.7%)	170 (22.8%)	10 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	42 (5.6%)								(n/a)										$5,306		$5,306
Waretown Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-2	64 Railroad Avenue	Waretown	08758	Ocean County	Ocean Township School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(609) 693-3131	317	22	14.6	38.2%	246 (77.6%)	8 (2.5%)	48 (15.1%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.8%)								(n/a)										$11,819	$265	$11,554
Frederic A. Priff Elementary School	Public	3-6	139 Wells Mill Road	Waretown	08758	Ocean County	Ocean Township School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(609) 693-3131	241	15	16.1	44.4%	181 (75.1%)	5 (2.1%)	36 (14.9%)	4 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (6.2%)	36	871^st of 1347 public elementary schools	35.3%		36.1	853^rd of 1338 public elementary schools	36.2%	18	23.6	39.3	50.8	42.9	43.3	26.8	41.0	32.1	38.3	$11,497	$265	$11,232
Ocean Acres Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-2	489 Nautilus Drive	Manahawkin	08050	Ocean County	Stafford Township School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(609) 978-5700	747	58	12.9	27.2%	603 (80.7%)	9 (1.2%)	111 (14.9%)	6 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	17 (2.3%)								(n/a)										$7,933	$136	$7,797
Forked River Elementary School	Public	1-5	110 Lacey Road	Forked River	08731	Ocean County	Lacey Township School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(609) 971-2080	479	36	13.3	43.2%	367 (76.6%)	9 (1.9%)	75 (15.7%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.2%)	34.7	885^th of 1347 public elementary schools	34.3%		33.5	891^st of 1338 public elementary schools	33.4%	6	22.8	35.0	39.4	46.4		41.6	38.2	37.5		$13,075	$732	$12,343
Ronald L. Meinders Primary Learning Center	Public	PK-K	1000 McKinley Avenue	Manahawkin	08050	Ocean County	Stafford Township School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(609) 978-5700	332	26	12.7	25.0%	265 (79.8%)	3 (0.9%)	50 (15.1%)	6 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.4%)								(n/a)										$7,736	$118	$7,618
McKinley Avenue Elementary School	Public	3-4	1000 McKinley Avenue	Manahawkin	08050	Ocean County	Stafford Township School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(609) 978-5700	630	50	12.6	29.7%	491 (77.9%)	13 (2.1%)	106 (16.8%)	6 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	13 (2.1%)	51.4	663^rd of 1347 public elementary schools	50.8%		59.6	552^nd of 1338 public elementary schools	58.7%	111		43.2	59.6			47.2	49.0			$7,441	$102	$7,339
Mill Pond Elementary School	Public	PK-K	210 Western Blvd	Lanoka Harbor	08734	Ocean County	Lacey Township School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(609) 971-2070	599	53	11.3	28.2%	487 (81.3%)	7 (1.2%)	70 (11.7%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.5%)	28 (4.7%)								(n/a)										$12,211	$545	$11,666
Cedar Creek Elementary School	Public	1-5	220 Western Blvd	Lanoka Harbor	08734	Ocean County	Lacey Township School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(609) 971-5850	432	38	11.2	26.9%	355 (82.2%)	6 (1.4%)	41 (9.5%)	6 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (5.6%)	48.8	699^th of 1347 public elementary schools	48.1%		53	634^th of 1338 public elementary schools	52.6%	65	29.3	46.3	54.7	58.8		35.5	41.7	51.8		$12,360	$297	$12,063

Frequently Asked Questions about Joseph T. Donahue Elementary School

How many students attend Joseph T. Donahue Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 524 students attended Joseph T. Donahue Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Joseph T. Donahue Elementary School?

Students at Joseph T. Donahue Elementary School are 60% White, 21% Hispanic, 9% African American, 6% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Joseph T. Donahue Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Joseph T. Donahue Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Robert L. Horbelt Elementary School
Middle : Russell O. Brackman Middle School
High : Barnegat High School

Is Joseph T. Donahue Elementary School a good school?

Joseph T. Donahue Elementary School ranks 920^th of 1347 New Jersey elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Joseph T. Donahue Elementary School in?

Barnegat Township School District

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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.