The top reported proficiency rate is 56% in Math. The lowest is 52% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Grafton Elem School
Grafton Elementary School serves pre-kindergarten through fourth grade in a small, whitewater riverside community where tourism, eagle watching, and recreation define the economic landscape. The school enrolls a small student body, with the largest cohort in pre-K and progressively smaller enrollments in the primary grades. The student population is predominantly white, with a small share of students identifying as multiracial and minimal representation from other racial or ethnic backgrounds. No data on free or reduced-price lunch eligibility, special education enrollment, or English learner populations was available.
Academic performance in the two grade bands with state test results shows a pattern worth examining closely. In third-grade math, students demonstrated moderate proficiency. Fourth-grade math results were lower, with about half of students meeting proficiency benchmarks. The picture in English language arts diverges notably: third-grade reading proficiency was low, while fourth-grade performance jumped substantially higher. This sharp swing between consecutive grades in reading, combined with softer math outcomes in fourth grade, suggests variability either in curricular implementation, assessment readiness, or cohort composition that a parent may want to explore directly with the school. The school participates fully in state testing with no participation gaps. Fifth grade and above are not part of Grafton Elementary's grade configuration, so no upper-grade results are available.
The school building itself sits on Grafton Hills Drive, separated from the downtown riverfront district rather than embedded in the walkable two-block Main Street core where most of Grafton's civic and commercial life concentrates. Grafton is a modest-sized riverfront city undergoing slow resettlement after decades of population decline; housing values have appreciated in recent years, and median household income is roughly in line with national benchmarks. The broader district, Jersey CUSD 100, recently approved a property tax levy increase in November 2025, a structural change that may affect future school resources, though actual property tax impacts depend on county assessments beyond the district's control.
No data on staffing, course offerings, discipline climate, or attendance was provided, so a parent evaluating school environment and day-to-day operations would need to visit or contact the school directly. The school is a traditional public elementary, not a charter or magnet program, and carries no Title I status designation in the available records. For families in the Grafton area weighing early elementary options, this school represents the local neighborhood choice, and the reading-math discrepancy between third and fourth grade is the most concrete academic signal worth investigating further.
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