Summary:
Zip code 08701 has six listed schools: three elementary schools, a middle school, a high school and an alternative school, spanning PK–K through high school. All six report that 91%–93% of students were free/reduced lunch eligible in 2024–25. The most important takeaway is that academic results vary substantially by school: Ocean Academy Charter School is the strongest broad performer among tested schools, while several other schools are well below state results.
Ocean Academy led the listed schools in every comparable grade-level ELA result from grades 3–9 and math result from grades 3–8 in 2025–26. Its averages were 46% in ELA, 5 points below the same-grade state average, and 45% in math, 4 points above the state. At the lower end, Clifton Ave Grade School averaged 21% in grades 3–5 ELA and 23% in math, respectively 28 and 24 points below state averages. Lakewood Middle School averaged 31% in grades 6–8 ELA and 14% in math, 23 and 20 points below state averages. One striking exception: Lakewood Middle’s grade-8 Algebra I proficiency was 89%, versus 75% statewide. Lakewood High School also has concerns beyond test scores: its 2024–25 graduation rate was 73%, compared with 89% statewide.
Across repeated ELA and math results, the average school–state gap narrowed by 2 points, but changes differed: Ocean moved 8 points closer to the state, Clifton 6 points farther away, Lakewood High 5 points farther away, and Lakewood Middle was nearly unchanged. SchoolDigger’s 2025–26 rankings place Lakewood High at the 21st percentile with 1 star, Lakewood Middle at the 17th percentile with 1 star, and Clifton at the 10th percentile with 0 stars. Student–teacher ratios range from 7.0:1 at Clifton and Oak Street Elementary School to 14.3:1 at Spruce Street Elementary School; the lower ratios do not consistently align with stronger test results. These figures offer context, not a simple explanation of achievement.
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