The top reported proficiency rate is 46% in English language arts. The lowest is 38% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Clara Barton Elementary
Clara Barton Elementary serves children from kindergarten through second grade in the Bordentown Regional School District, and its story is shaped almost entirely by that early elementary mission. This is an entry-point school, the place where the youngest students in the district begin their formal academic experience. The grade span means many of the metrics a parent might look for in an older school simply do not apply here. There is no graduation rate because the school does not serve high school grades. State testing results are available only for third grade, and since the school stops at second grade, those results come from a different building in the district and do not describe this school’s own students.
The student body is modest in size. The school community is predominantly white, with a noteworthy share of Black and Hispanic students and a smaller Asian presence. About one in five students qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. The school sits within Bordentown, a very compact historic city at the confluence of the Delaware River and two creeks, with a traditional street grid and a commercial corridor along Farnsworth Avenue. The town is small and walkable by design, mixing 18th- and 19th-century homes with civic functions woven into the downtown fabric. The Clara Barton Schoolhouse, a restored historic landmark, stands at a downtown intersection as a reminder of the town’s deep educational history.
For a parent considering this school, the most practical question is what kind of foundation it provides before students move on to another elementary building for the later primary grades. Because the school stops at second grade, the available academic data comes from outside its walls and offers no direct read on its own classroom performance. The district as a whole sits relative to other districts in Burlington County in terms of overall proficiency, but that measure pulls from tested grades the school does not serve. A parent may want to ask the school directly about its early literacy and numeracy approaches, kindergarten readiness supports, and how teachers identify and address learning needs before the transition to third grade.
The housing market in the zip code reflects a moderately priced market compared to the state overall. Home values are well above the national benchmark but lower than New Jersey’s statewide median, and rents follow a similar pattern. The town’s population has been very stable over decades, with only modest recent growth. The most notable change in the area is the recent repurposing of a former estate into a new municipal complex, a civic investment rather than a residential development. Surrounding Bordentown Township has grown more substantially and offers a more suburban alternative for families who want a larger lot while still feeding into the same district.
This is a school for families who want a small, neighborhood-anchored start to their child’s education in a historic, walkable town. The early grade span means the school is focused entirely on the youngest learners, with no older students on site. A parent will want to understand how the school handles the transition to the next building, what curriculum and social-emotional supports are in place for the earliest grades, and how the school communicates with families about student progress in a setting where state testing does not yet apply. The school fits a family that values a contained early elementary environment and is comfortable looking beyond test scores for evidence of a strong start.
See more original research from School Decision →