Summary:
The 08861 zip code area of Perth Amboy, New Jersey is home to two middle schools: William C. McGinnis Middle School and Samuel E. Shull Middle School, both part of the Perth Amboy Public School District. While the schools serve the same community, they face similar challenges, with both ranking in the bottom half of New Jersey middle schools in recent years.
The data reveals that both schools have relatively low rankings within the state, with William C. McGinnis Middle School ranked 662 out of 752 middle schools for the 2024-2025 school year and Samuel E. Shull Middle School ranked 645 out of 752. This is reflected in the schools' performance on standardized tests, such as the NJSLA, where student proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science are significantly below the state and district averages.
Additionally, both schools have high rates of chronic absenteeism, at 14.9% for the 2023-2024 school year, which is much higher than the state average. This, coupled with the high percentages of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (77.43% at William C. McGinnis and 81.27% at Samuel E. Shull), suggests that the schools serve economically disadvantaged student populations. Despite the relatively high spending per student, the schools' academic performance remains low, indicating that the resources may not be effectively allocated or utilized to drive student achievement.
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