The top reported proficiency rate is 79% in Math. The lowest is 68% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Riverbank Charter School of Excellence
Riverbank Charter School of Excellence is a small public charter school serving kindergarten through third grade, located in the historic company town of Roebling in Burlington County. With an enrollment at the smaller end for its grade band, the school occupies its own campus on Hornberger Avenue and operates as a standalone charter district, meaning it is not part of a larger township school system. Families apply from across the area, not just from Roebling itself.
The student body is predominantly white, with a notable share of Asian students and smaller shares of Black and Hispanic students. About one in seven students qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, a comparatively low rate. The school serves only kindergarten through third grade, so there are no older students on site and no graduation rate—nothing beyond the early elementary years is offered.
State test results are available for one tested grade, third grade, and they are a clear strength. In math, a large majority of tested students scored at the proficient or advanced level. In English language arts, proficiency was also strong, though slightly lower. The school’s overall proficiency across these two subjects ranks in the top quarter among all districts in Burlington County—a notable position for a school that serves only its earliest grades and tests a single cohort of students. A parent reviewing these numbers would see a pattern of solid academic performance at this early stage.
Roebling itself shapes the context for this school. It is a small, unincorporated community within Florence Township, originally built as a company town by Charles Roebling to house workers at the Kinkora steel mill and wire rope plant. The historic district retains rows of brick houses, wide tree-lined streets with London plane trees, and a compact grid layout that makes the core walkable. The population has been declining slightly, and the community’s most significant development prospect is the former mill site, which has undergone environmental remediation and is being marketed for mixed-use redevelopment. Housing values in the area are roughly in line with the national median, a moderate level for New Jersey. The Roebling Museum, housed in the former mill’s Main Gate Building, serves as a cultural anchor. Transit options include the River Line light rail with a station at Hornberger Avenue, and bus service to Philadelphia is available.
The school itself had no recent strategic or operational changes publicly reported that meet a four-year threshold for lasting impact, and no data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, staffing ratios, or course access beyond the tested subjects was available. For a parent thinking about this school, the primary takeaway is what the school offers and what it does not. It provides a focused early elementary experience with strong academic outcomes for the grades it serves. But it stops at third grade, so a family would need to plan for a transition to another school for fourth grade onward. The small size and single-charter-district structure mean limited information on broader school environment measures, and a parent may want to ask the school directly about classroom supports, enrichment, and how the school prepares students for the next step. For a family prioritizing a strong start in reading and math for a young child, and who is comfortable navigating a school search after third grade, Riverbank Charter School of Excellence presents a compelling option in a quiet, historically rooted community.
See more original research from School Decision →