This Chatham Elementary School Ranks Among Top 50 In NJ

CHATHAM, NJ — New education rankings from U.S. News & World Report are once again showing that the School District of the Chathams continues to rank among the best for K-8 schools in New Jersey.

In particular, Lafayette Avenue School came in at number 40 among the top 50 public elementary schools in the Garden State.

The news outlet based its 2024 Best Elementary and Middle School Rankings on publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Education, focusing on student proficiency in core subject areas.

Families can use the annual rankings to compare schools at the national, state and local levels on factors such as academic performance and student-teacher ratio, among other things, according to a news release.

Here’s a look at how other elementary schools in the School District of the Chathams ranked compared with others in the state:

• Milton Avenue School: 86
• Southern Boulevard School: 130
• Washington Avenue School: 147

The School District of The Chathams contains six schools and 3,765 students. The student body at the schools served by the School District of The Chathams is 73.3 percent White, 0.6 percent Black, 14.1 percent Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander, 6.2 percent Hispanic/Latino and 0.2 percent American Indian or Alaska Native.

In the School District of The Chathams, 64 percent of elementary students tested at or above the proficient level for reading, and 64 percent tested at or above that level for math.

Also, 76 percent of middle school students tested at or above the proficient level for reading, and 54 percent tested at or above that level for math. And 88 percent of high school students tested at or above the proficient level for reading, and 63 percent tested at or above that level for math.

The U.S. News list includes data on more than 79,000 public elementary and middle schools nationwide.

In the analysis, U.S. News looked closely at state assessments of students who were proficient or above-proficient in mathematics and reading/language arts, while also accounting for student backgrounds, achievement in core subjects, and how well schools are educating their students. Student-teacher ratios are applied to break ties in the overall score.

LaMont Jones, managing editor for education at U.S. News, said the state and district-level rankings are intended to give parents a snapshot of their child’s school and how well it’s doing within its community.

"Easily accessible data on student-teacher ratio, district spending, and the number of school counselors available at the school can keep parents informed and involved," Jones said.

To be included in district-level rankings, at least two of the top-performing schools must rank in the top 75 percent of the overall elementary or middle school rankings to qualify for district-level recognition.

With reporting by Michelle Rotuno-Johnson, Patch Staff