The top reported proficiency rate is 87% in Math. The lowest is 65% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Oak Street School
Oak Street School is one of four elementary schools in the Bernards Township School District, serving students from kindergarten through fifth grade in Basking Ridge. The school sits in a community that functions as both a commercial hub for northern-central New Jersey and a commuter town for New York City, with a historic downtown district and corporate headquarters for several major employers. Families here live in a mix of residential neighborhoods with access to county parks, town pools, and NJ Transit’s Gladstone Branch rail service. The housing market is expensive relative to state and national benchmarks, and the school tax burden is a real factor for any family considering the area.
Academically, Oak Street School puts up strong numbers on New Jersey’s state assessments. In mathematics, proficiency rates reached well above the state average across grades three, four, and five, with fourth graders testing at a particularly high level. English language arts results tell a more varied story. Fourth graders again performed very strongly, and fifth graders also posted a high proficiency rate. Third graders, however, tested at a lower level than their older schoolmates in reading. A parent may want to discuss literacy support for that grade with the school. In science, the only tested grade, fifth, showed room for growth. Overall, the school’s proficiency index across tested subjects and grades lands in the top quartile relative to other districts in Somerset County, a benchmark worth noting because the county includes many high-performing districts.
The student body is predominantly white, with a substantial Asian population and a smaller but notable Hispanic share. Very few students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a rate that is far below the state average. The school does not report counts for students with IEPs or English learners in the available data, so a parent with a child who receives special education services or language supports should confirm directly with the school what is available.
The district has made several recent changes that affect families at Oak Street. Full-day kindergarten replaced a half-day program starting in the 2023-2024 school year, a shift that effectively doubled instructional time for the youngest students. A new K-5 literacy curriculum aligned with the science of reading framework was fully implemented in the same year, with teacher training beginning the year before. Voters also approved a bond referendum in 2022 for infrastructure improvements across all six school buildings, including HVAC upgrades, roof replacements, and security enhancements. These are tangible investments that matter for day-to-day school experience and for property taxes, since the bond is paid off over time.
Because Oak Street serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate or high school program data to report. Students move on to William Annin Middle School and then Ridge High School within the same district, so parents looking at the long arc of their child’s education will want to look at those schools’ results as well. The school itself is a neighborhood elementary school with solid academic performance, a homogeneous student body by income, and a district that has been actively updating its facilities and early-grade curriculum. Families who place a premium on strong math and literacy outcomes through the elementary years, and who can manage the high cost of housing and taxes in Basking Ridge, will find this school fits that profile. Those whose children need additional academic support, particularly in early reading, should ask specific questions about intervention programs and how the school is addressing the third-grade literacy gap.
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