Woodrow Wilson School No. 19, Elizabeth NJ

Original Research by School Decision on Woodrow Wilson School No. 19

Woodrow Wilson School No. 19 serves students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade as a regular public school in the Elizabeth Public Schools district. It is one of many neighborhood schools in this densely populated urban district, and its enrollment is fairly balanced across the elementary and middle school grades. The student body is overwhelmingly Hispanic, with smaller shares of Black, white, and Asian students, reflecting the broader demographics of the city.

The school's academic profile, based on state assessments, shows a pattern that parents will want to examine closely. In English language arts, the picture brightens considerably as students get older. The share of students meeting proficiency standards in the early grades is modest, but it climbs markedly by fifth grade, reaches its highest point in sixth grade, and stays relatively strong through seventh grade before dipping some in eighth grade. The sixth and seventh grade results stand out as a real strength, suggesting that something in the middle school instruction is connecting well for many students. In math, the story is more concerning. While fifth grade math proficiency is the highest among the elementary grades, the rates for sixth and seventh graders are quite low. Eighth grade math data is not included in the available results, so it is unclear whether the trend continues or changes in that final year. The science results present a stark contrast between fifth and eighth grade, with a very small share of eighth graders meeting the bar. A parent may want to ask the school about how it supports students as they move into the more advanced middle school curriculum, particularly in math and science, and what interventions or changes are planned.

Given that this is a pre-kindergarten through eighth grade school, it does not have a high school graduation rate to report. State testing data was available for grades three through eight, but participation rates were missing from the records, so it is not possible to confirm how fully every tested grade was represented.

Compared to other districts in Union County, Woodrow Wilson School No. 19's overall proficiency index falls below the midpoint among the county's districts. This is a broad comparison that groups all tested subjects and grades together, and the school's own data shows that the overall figure is pulled down significantly by the math and science results in the upper grades.

The school is situated in Elizabeth, a densely populated urban city and the Union County seat. The city is defined by its role as a major transportation and industrial hub, anchored by the Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal and Newark Liberty International Airport. Residential neighborhoods, a historic downtown core, and the large Mills at Jersey Gardens retail complex all sit within a city that has seen substantial population growth and economic development investment in recent decades. The housing market in the area reflects the wider region's high costs, with home values and rents both well above national benchmarks. A very large share of the school's students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a community with significant economic need.

No recent district-level changes with lasting impact were found in publicly available information, so the narrative around the school is largely shaped by its own academic data and the character of Elizabeth itself. For a family considering this school, the standout area appears to be English language arts for the middle grades, while the math and science outcomes in the same grade band would be a top question to discuss with the principal or teaching staff.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 323%

School 23% · District 37% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Grade 427%

School 27% · District 32% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 533%

School 33% · District 33% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 612%

School 12% · District 26% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 715%

School 15% · District 21% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 327%

School 27% · District 30% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 431%

School 31% · District 37% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Grade 548%

School 48% · District 40% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 667%

School 67% · District 53% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

Grade 757%

School 57% · District 56% · ▲ 1 pts above district

even with state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 842%

School 42% · District 55% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Science

Grade 520%

School 20% · District 15% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▼ 8 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 83%

School 3% · District 9% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

This schoolElizabeth Public Schools, 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 3Lower-income32%Higher-income10%22 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income28%Higher-income42%14 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income48%Higher-income46%3 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income72%Higher-income50%21 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income54%Higher-income67%13 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income41%Higher-income43%1 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income23%Higher-income20%3 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income30%Higher-income17%13 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income39%Higher-income18%20 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income16%Higher-income0%16 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income14%Higher-income17%3 pp gap