The top reported proficiency rate is 42% in English language arts. The lowest is 21% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Private Nicholas Minue Elementary School
Private Nicholas Minue Elementary School is a regular public school in the Carteret Public School District, serving students from pre-kindergarten through fourth grade. Because the school’s grade band ends at fourth grade, it does not have a graduation rate; state testing data is available for the grades it does serve, and the science results shown here come from an earlier testing cycle when fifth graders were still part of the school’s tested population. The school’s enrollment is fairly large for an elementary school, and the student body reflects the broader diversity of Carteret itself. Asian students make up the largest single group, followed closely by Hispanic students, with smaller shares of Black, White, and multiracial students. More than half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker that a substantial share of families are working with modest incomes.
On the 2024-25 New Jersey Student Learning Assessments, the school’s proficiency rates in math and English language arts varied noticeably by grade level. Math proficiency in third grade was higher than in fourth grade. In English language arts, third-grade proficiency was lower, while fourth grade showed a stronger result. The earlier science assessment for fifth graders, from the 2021-22 school year, showed a lower proficiency rate. Taken together, the overall proficiency index for the school sits below the midpoint relative to other districts in Middlesex County. A parent looking for a clear upward trend in test scores would not find one here, and it is worth asking the school directly how it is working to raise performance in the elementary grades.
The school is part of the Carteret district, which operates six schools in the borough. Carteret is a densely settled community in northeastern Middlesex County, situated along the Arthur Kill and the Rahway River. It is an industrial and commercial hub as well as a residential one, home to a NASDAQ data center and the planned Carteret Stages film production complex. A substantial Sikh population gives the borough a distinct cultural presence, with a large annual parade and a flag-raising ceremony. The population grew markedly in the decade leading up to 2020, though recent estimates suggest it has leveled off. Major development is underway at the waterfront, including a multimodal ferry terminal that broke ground in late 2025 and is expected to open in 2028, which would provide direct transit to Lower Manhattan. For now, the borough relies on NJ Transit buses and municipal jitneys connecting to Rahway and Woodbridge train stations. The New Jersey Turnpike runs through town, and the area is generally car-oriented.
The district itself made a recent move to expand early childhood education. It received state funding through the Preschool Education Expansion Aid program for the 2024-25 school year, adding preschool seats and making full-day pre-kindergarten available to all four-year-old residents. That is a meaningful change for families with young children in the borough, and it means that children entering kindergarten at Minue may already have had a full year of district preschool.
The school is a neighborhood elementary school, not a magnet or charter. Its role is to serve its attendance zone within Carteret. A family considering this school should weigh the mixed proficiency data against the strengths of a full-day preschool pathway and a diverse, growing community with emerging transit and economic development. Parents who want strong early elementary test scores may want to follow up with the school on its academic support strategies. For families who value a community school in a borough undergoing real infrastructure and population change, Minue is a straightforward option within the Carteret district.
See more original research from School Decision →