The top reported proficiency rate is 75% in English language arts. The lowest is 33% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on James A. Garfield Elementary School
James A. Garfield Elementary School serves Collingswood, a densely populated Camden County borough where residential streets give way to a lively commercial corridor along Haddon Avenue. The school sits at 480 Haddon Avenue, centrally placed in a town that blends Victorian and Cape Cod homes with upscale lofts and condos. This is a regular public school within the Collingswood Public School District, covering kindergarten through fifth grade. The building is one of several elementary schools distributed through the borough’s neighborhoods, each feeding into the district’s middle and high schools. Knight Park, the town’s central green space, lies nearby, and the PATCO Speedline station connects the downtown to Philadelphia in a short rail ride.
Academically, Garfield Elementary posts results that place it in the top quartile of schools relative to other districts across Camden County, based on an overall proficiency index that averages performance across tested subjects and grades. That is a clear strength. On the state’s NJSLA assessments, the school’s reading and language arts scores are notably strong. Across grades three through five, the share of students scoring proficient or above reaches levels that most schools in the county would find solid, with the highest grade posting a particularly high rate. Mathematics performance is more mixed but still sits above the county median overall. The third-grade math proficiency rate is solid; the fourth-grade math rate is somewhat lower but remains within a reasonable range; the fifth-grade math rate is stronger, matching the school’s overall pattern of improvement in the upper elementary years. Science testing, administered only in fifth grade, shows a lower proficiency rate. A parent may want to look into this further with the school, particularly since science achievement often reflects curriculum emphasis and hands-on learning opportunities that vary from building to building.
The student body is small, with an enrollment that creates an environment where teachers can know most students by name. The demographic composition is predominantly White, with a notable Hispanic or Latino presence and smaller shares of Black, Asian, and multiracial students. Roughly one in five students qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, a share that is modest relative to many Camden County schools. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the records reviewed, so a parent with specific support needs should ask the school directly about those populations.
Collingswood itself is a walkable, amenity-rich town. The downtown Haddon Avenue corridor is dense with restaurants (many BYO, since the borough was historically dry), coffee shops, art galleries, and small retail. Monthly Second Saturdays art walks, a Saturday farmers’ market under the PATCO line from May to November, the Collingswood Porchfest in September, and the annual May Fair fill the calendar. The Scottish Rite Auditorium and the Perkins Center for the Arts are within walking distance of the school. Knight Park, directly across from the high school, hosts sports, outdoor movies, and concerts. Cooper River Park and Newton Lake Park border the borough, offering trails, kayak rentals, and event pavilions. The PATCO station downtown provides rapid transit to Center City Philadelphia, making this a commuter-friendly location.
Housing values in the zip code covering the school are above the national median but below the New Jersey state benchmark. The county market has seen a rise in median listing prices and a slight increase in days on market, though inventory remains tight. Rents are moderately high, and the monthly cost of renting is below the estimated mortgage payment, a dynamic that may tilt some families toward renting. The borough’s population has grown modestly in recent decades, and the district has not reported any major recent changes to budgets, curricula, or facilities that would alter a family’s decision in the short term.
For a family looking at this school, the picture is a small, academically solid elementary school in a walkable borough with strong transit access to Philadelphia. The top-quartile county ranking speaks to reliable instruction in reading and math, while the science scores are a point to explore. The town’s active downtown, frequent events, and connectedness to the city give it a feel that is suburban but not isolated. The absence of data on special education and English learner populations means those inquiries are best made directly. On balance, Garfield Elementary offers a strong academic foundation in a community that is engaged, compact, and well-served by its downtown.
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