Summary:
ZIP code 08030 has two elementary schools: Cold Springs School, serving PK–3, and Alice Costello Elementary School, serving PK–8. In the latest results, both schools’ third-grade scores were below the state average in math, and the shortfall was larger in math than in ELA: their equal-weight averages were 37% in math versus 49% statewide, and 43% in ELA versus 48%. The clearest area-wide concern is third-grade math.
Alice Costello stands out in the direct third-grade comparison, leading Cold Springs in 2025–2026 by 11 percentage points in ELA (48% versus 37%) and 14 points in math (44% versus 30%). Its older-grade results are less consistent: eighth-grade ELA was 75%, 22 points above the state, and eighth-grade math was 35%, 13 points above; sixth-grade ELA was 17%, 34 points below the state, and math was 18%, 23 points below. Cold Springs’ third-grade results were below state levels in both subjects, by 11 points in ELA and 19 in math.
Third-grade results changed unevenly over time. Alice Costello’s math fell from 63% in 2024–2025 to 44% in 2025–2026, while Cold Springs stayed at 30%, narrowing Alice Costello’s lead from 32 points to 14; their ELA lead remained similar, at 12 and 11 points. SchoolDigger’s rankings are a separate measure: Cold Springs was at the 24th percentile in 2025–2026, up 7 points from 2023–2024, while Alice Costello was at the 30th percentile, down 8 points. In 2024–2025, Cold Springs had 839 students, a student–teacher ratio of 11.2, and 66% free/reduced lunch eligible; Alice Costello had 277 students, a ratio of 8.5, and 70% free/reduced lunch eligible. Chronic absenteeism was 26% and 20%, respectively, versus 14% statewide. The direct school-to-school test comparison is limited to third grade, and year-to-year results reflect different student cohorts.
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