Farmingdale Elementary, Farmingdale NJ

Original Research by School Decision on Farmingdale Elementary

Farmingdale Elementary is the only school in the Farmingdale Public School District, a single-building operation serving pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. The school sits within the small borough of Farmingdale, a compact, walkable community of well-maintained homes on small lots with a historic feel. The borough’s motto is “Today’s Town with Yesterday’s Touch,” and the evidence bears that out: a Main Street commercial district, a community center on Asbury Avenue, and a former bank property repurposed for downtown concerts. At roughly a square mile, Farmingdale is entirely surrounded by Howell Township and has very little room for new housing. Home values here are well above the typical national figure, reflecting the desirability of this corner of Monmouth County.

The student body is small, serving just over a hundred and seventy children from pre-K through grade eight. The student population is predominantly White, with a modest share of Hispanic students and very small numbers of other groups. About one in six students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a share that is lower than in many nearby districts. Special education and English learner data were not available in the information provided, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those support structures.

Academically, the picture is mixed. On the state’s NJSLA assessments, overall proficiency across tested grades and subjects falls below the midpoint among districts in Monmouth County. That headline, however, masks variation across grades and subjects. In English language arts, the early elementary grades show low proficiency in third and fourth grade, but results strengthen considerably from fifth grade onward, with a majority of students meeting the bar in fifth through eighth grade. Math performance is more uneven: proficiency rates are low in fourth grade, improve in fifth and seventh, but dip again in sixth and eighth grade. This pattern suggests that the school may have particular challenges in math instruction, especially in the middle elementary years. Science results, available for fifth and eighth grade, are near the midpoint of proficiency, slightly below the county median. A family considering Farmingdale Elementary would do well to ask about the school’s approach to math support and enrichment, as the data shows room for growth there.

The school itself is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. No recent curriculum overhauls, tax shifts, or other parent-relevant changes were found for the district. Extracurricular programs, course access beyond the core, and staffing ratios were not reported in the available data, so those are open questions for a prospective family.

After eighth grade, students leave the district. High schoolers attend Howell High School, part of the Freehold Regional High School District, located just outside the borough in Howell Township. That means a child attending Farmingdale Elementary will transition to a much larger high school setting, something families may want to factor in as they plan ahead.

For families looking at this school, the key trade-offs are clear. This is a very small, close-knit school in a stable, pricey housing market with limited growth. Academic results are uneven, with stronger ELA performance in upper grades but persistent math challenges. The community is historic and walkable, and the school is integrated into the borough’s civic fabric. A parent should dig into math support, special education services, and the transition to high school to see whether this fits their child’s needs.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 337%

School 37% · District 37%

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

Grade 413%

School 13% · District 13%

▼ 32 pts below state median · ▼ 41 pts below county median

Grade 550%

School 50% · District 50%

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 627%

School 27% · District 27%

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 26 pts below county median

Grade 738%

School 38% · District 38%

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 311%

School 11% · District 11%

▼ 35 pts below state median · ▼ 44 pts below county median

Grade 420%

School 20% · District 20%

▼ 35 pts below state median · ▼ 41 pts below county median

Grade 556%

School 56% · District 56%

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 673%

School 73% · District 73%

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 769%

School 69% · District 69%

▲ 12 pts above state median · even with county median

Grade 864%

School 64% · District 64%

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Science

Grade 539%

School 39% · District 39%

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 846%

School 46% · District 46%

▲ 33 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

This schoolFarmingdale Public 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.