Paul Robeson Charter School for the Humanities, Trenton NJ

Original Research by School Decision on Paul Robeson Charter School for the Humanities

Paul Robeson Charter School for the Humanities is a regular, independently run public charter school in Trenton, New Jersey, serving kindergarten through eighth grade. It is the only school within its own small district. Named for the renowned singer, actor, and activist, the school's humanities focus is its stated identity, though specific arts or humanities programming details are not provided in the available data.

The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial Black student population and a small Asian cohort. A very large share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the high level of economic need in the surrounding community. Trenton is the state capital and a densely built, historically industrial city where state government is now the dominant employer. Housing values in the school's zip code are well below New Jersey's state average, and home values have seen a modest recent decline, while rents have risen, creating a tight rental market for local families.

Paul Robeson Charter School does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. State testing results from the New Jersey Student Learning Assessments for the 2024-25 school year tell a mixed story. In English language arts, performance varies notably by grade level. Fourth graders posted the highest proficiency rate, and sixth, seventh, and eighth graders also had proficiency rates in a modest range. Third grade, however, showed a much lower proficiency rate, a gap a parent may want to explore with the school to understand how foundational literacy is being addressed in the early years.

Math results are a more consistent area of concern. Proficiency rates across all tested grades fell into a low single-digit-to-mid range, with eighth grade registering the lowest performance. Science results, tested in fifth and eighth grade, were also low. The school's overall proficiency index, which averages performance across subjects and grades, placed it below the midpoint when compared to other districts in Mercer County. This suggests that while some language arts instruction shows relative strength in the upper elementary and middle school grades, math and science are significant soft spots. A family considering this school may want to ask the school directly about the math curriculum and any targeted interventions or tutoring programs in place.

No information was available on special education services, English learner support, chronic absenteeism, or discipline. The school's charter status means it operates with a governance structure distinct from the neighboring Trenton Public School District, and families must apply for admission through a separate process. The district brief revealed no major recent changes to report.

For a family weighing options, Paul Robeson Charter School for the Humanities offers a small school environment in an urban capital city with strong transit connections. The humanities-themed name signals a potential emphasis on the arts and liberal arts, though the available data does not describe specific program offerings. The academic picture is mixed, with English language arts in some grades being a relative bright spot and math and science representing areas where the school is clearly struggling. A parent whose child needs strong remediation in math would want to ask detailed questions about support structures before enrolling.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 319%

School 19% · District 19%

▼ 31 pts below state median · ▼ 26 pts below county median

Grade 436%

School 36% · District 36%

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 521%

School 21% · District 21%

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 622%

School 22% · District 22%

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 720%

School 20% · District 20%

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 811%

School 11% · District 11%

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 315%

School 15% · District 15%

▼ 30 pts below state median · ▼ 23 pts below county median

Grade 447%

School 47% · District 47%

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 531%

School 31% · District 31%

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

Grade 646%

School 46% · District 46%

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 742%

School 42% · District 42%

▼ 15 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 842%

School 42% · District 42%

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Science

Grade 512%

School 12% · District 12%

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 814%

School 14% · District 14%

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

This schoolPaul Robeson Charter School for the Humanities, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.