The top reported proficiency rate is 33% in English language arts. The lowest is 18% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Dr. J.p. Cleary Elementary School
Dr. J.P. Cleary Elementary School serves grades three through five in Minotola, an unincorporated community within Buena Borough in Atlantic County. The school is part of the Buena Regional School District, which also covers Buena Vista Township, Weymouth Township, and Estell Manor. Central Avenue functions as the community's main corridor, and both Cleary and a parochial school sit along that street, meaning the school is embedded in the everyday life of the neighborhood rather than isolated on a campus apart from it. Minotola itself is a small, primarily residential area with limited commercial activity, and no major employers were publicly identified. The housing stock in the broader area shows modest appreciation, with home values in the ZIP code near the midpoint of a national context but well below the statewide benchmark, and the typical mortgage payment comes in close to the average rent, which gives a buyer a fairly even choice between renting and owning.
Cleary is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. The enrollment is moderate for an upper-elementary school serving three grades. The student body is majority white, with a substantial Hispanic population and smaller shares of Black, Asian, multiracial, American Indian, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. More than half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker that the school serves a population with significant economic need. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about how those populations are supported and served.
On state assessments, proficiency rates in math and English language arts are lower than what many families might hope for. In math, across third, fourth, and fifth grades, the share of students scoring proficient or above was well under a third. In English language arts, results were somewhat higher but still below half in every grade, with fifth graders performing the strongest of the three. In science, which is tested only in fifth grade in New Jersey, the proficiency rate was also well under a quarter. When placed relative to other districts in Atlantic County, the school’s overall proficiency index sits below the midpoint of the cohort. A parent should understand that these results mean many students are building foundational skills in these grades, and if a family is looking for a school where strong majorities of students meet state benchmarks in every subject in elementary school, Cleary may not deliver that picture. The lower scores do not mean the school is failing its students in any categorical sense, but they do suggest that a parent may want to talk with teachers and administrators about academic interventions, enrichment, and how the school works to move students toward proficiency.
No graduation rate is reported because the school does not serve high school grades, and no chronic absenteeism data was available. The search for recent district-level changes, such as budget developments, leadership turnover, or facility projects, returned little of lasting impact, so there is no public signal of disruption or major new direction at the district level that a parent should factor in. The district brief found no significant parent-relevant changes to report.
For a family considering Minotola, the tradeoff is straightforward. The community is small and quiet, with low commercial density and a school that sits at the center of its main street. The housing market is more affordable than much of New Jersey, though prices have been rising modestly. The school itself reflects the economic realities of its student body, with proficiency numbers that are below the county median. A family who values a neighborhood school where the principal and teachers can know most families, and where the setting is not fast-growing or high-pressure, may find Cleary a comfortable fit. A family prioritizing top-tier test scores or a wide array of specialized programs in elementary grades will want to ask careful questions about academic support and how the school addresses skill gaps before enrolling.
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