The top reported proficiency rate is 41% in English language arts. The lowest is 6% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Cresthaven Academy Charter School
Cresthaven Academy Charter School is a single charter school in Union County, New Jersey, that serves students from kindergarten through seventh grade. Though it is a single school, it is treated as its own district for state reporting purposes. The school was originally a K-5 program and received approval from the state around 2021 to expand to a K-8 school, adding one grade each year. By the 2024-25 school year it aimed to be fully enrolled through eighth grade, and the expansion includes a second campus location in Plainfield. This means that families who start their child at Cresthaven can now keep them in the same school through middle school rather than having to find a new placement after fifth grade.
The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a smaller but substantial share of Black students. Very few white, Asian, or multiracial students attend, and the enrollment is small enough that each grade has a modest number of students. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, receive special education services, or are English learners was unavailable, which is a gap a parent may want to explore directly with the school.
State test results from the New Jersey Student Learning Assessments show a mixed picture. In English language arts, about a third to roughly half of students met the proficiency standard in most tested grades, with fifth, sixth, and eighth graders performing stronger than third, fourth, and seventh graders. Math performance was more uneven. In third grade, nearly half of students were proficient, but that rate fell considerably in fourth and fifth grades, recovered somewhat in sixth, and then dropped again in seventh. By eighth grade, none of the students who were tested reached the proficiency bar. Science results were very low in both fifth and eighth grades, with only a few students scoring proficient. Overall, when all tested subjects and grades are averaged together, the school’s proficiency index places it among the lowest quarter of Union County’s districts. This is a clear soft spot, and a parent considering the school would want to look further into how the school supports students who are below grade level, particularly in math and science as students get older.
Because the school does not yet serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report. Chronic absenteeism, however, was reported and fell at a rate near the middle of the county’s districts, which is a neutral indicator. The school’s per-pupil spending is in the lower range compared to other districts in the county, which may reflect its charter status and leaner administrative structure.
No information was available about the community or housing context around the school, such as median home values or rents, nor about the school’s locale, discipline rates, or course offerings. Without those details, a family would need to rely on a visit and conversations with the school to understand the day-to-day environment and what programs are available beyond the core academics.
Cresthaven Academy offers a option for families who want a smaller charter school setting in Union County with a diverse student population and the convenience of a single school that now extends through eighth grade. The academic results, especially in upper-grade math and science, are areas where the school will need to show improvement for families seeking a strong academic foundation leading into high school.
See more original research from School Decision →