Yorkship Elementary School, Camden NJ

Original Research by School Decision on Yorkship Elementary School

Yorkship Elementary School is a regular public school in Camden, serving children from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. It sits within the Camden City School District, a district that operates in a small post-industrial city across the Delaware River from Philadelphia. Camden has experienced deep economic challenges over the past several decades, and while revitalization efforts have focused on the waterfront, healthcare, and university sectors, poverty remains widespread. The school’s enrollment is a mix of predominantly Black and Hispanic students, and a substantial share of families qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The surrounding housing market is relatively affordable compared to the state and national benchmarks, with modest home values and rents that reflect the city’s economic conditions.

Academically, Yorkship Elementary’s state assessment results are notably low. Across the tested grades, math proficiency rates are very modest, and in some grade levels, no students met the state’s proficiency threshold. In English language arts, results vary by grade: fourth graders show a somewhat higher proficiency rate, while third and fifth graders are low. Science results for fifth graders are also very low. The overall pattern, when compared with other districts in Camden County, places Yorkship in the bottom quartile of proficiency across subjects and grades. Because the school serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report. The school’s performance on these assessments is a clear area where a parent would want to look into further with the school, particularly to understand what supports are in place for students who are not yet meeting grade-level expectations.

The school environment is that of a typical urban elementary school. No data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, or staffing ratios were provided, so it is difficult to speak to the day-to-day climate or student support structures. The school’s grade band means it does not offer high school pathways such as AP or dual credit, and no special programs or magnet designations were reported. The district itself, according to the available research, did not have recent notable changes or strategic priorities that were publicly documented, so little can be said about district-level initiatives that might be affecting Yorkship.

For a parent or resident considering this school, the central takeaway is that Yorkship serves a high-poverty urban population and its academic outcomes, as measured by state tests, are among the lowest in the county. The school’s strength may lie in the community it serves as a neighborhood anchor, but the data do not point to a strong academic foundation for students moving into middle school. A family would want to ask about early literacy and math interventions, the school’s approach to supporting students who are behind, and what the transition to the next grade level looks like within the district. The surrounding city of Camden offers a dense urban setting with access to Philadelphia via the PATCO line and some cultural amenities, but the local economy and housing market reflect the city’s ongoing struggles. This is a school that fits a family looking for a neighborhood elementary option in a challenged urban district, but the academic profile suggests that careful investigation into the school’s current programs and support systems is warranted.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 33%

School 3% · District 21% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 47 pts below state median · ▼ 43 pts below county median

Grade 418%

School 18% · District 14% · ▲ 4 pts above district

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

Grade 50%

School 0% · District 8% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 43 pts below state median · ▼ 39 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 33%

School 3% · District 15% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 43 pts below state median · ▼ 37 pts below county median

Grade 438%

School 38% · District 26% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Grade 520%

School 20% · District 16% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▼ 34 pts below state median · ▼ 32 pts below county median

Science

Grade 54%

School 4% · District 6% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

This schoolCamden City School District, 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income19%Higher-income6%13 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income13%Higher-income12%1 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income17%Higher-income13%4 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income4%Higher-income0%4 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income9%Higher-income6%3 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income8%Higher-income9%0 pp gap