Newbury Elementary School, Howell NJ

Original Research by School Decision on Newbury Elementary School

Newbury Elementary School serves students in grades three through five as part of the Howell Township Public School District in Monmouth County. It is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and its size is typical for an upper-elementary school in the area. The school sits in the sprawling suburban township of Howell, a bedroom community that has grown steadily as part of the New York metro area. Howell is car-oriented and lacks a traditional walkable downtown, with commercial activity concentrated along Route 9. The district encompasses this large township, and the school draws from its surrounding neighborhoods.

Academically, Newbury’s state assessment results for the 2023-24 school year show a pattern that varies by grade and subject. In both math and English language arts, performance tends to improve as students move from third to fifth grade. In third grade, fewer than half of students met the state proficiency benchmark in either subject. That share grew noticeably by fourth grade, where a majority of students scored proficient in English language arts and roughly half did so in math. By fifth grade, a majority of students reached proficiency in both math and reading. Science, which is tested only in fifth grade, saw a smaller share of students meet the state standard. When the school’s overall proficiency across all tested subjects and grades is compared with other districts in Monmouth County, it falls below the midpoint. Families looking at area elementary schools may want to ask the school about support for early-grade readers and for students who need additional work to reach grade-level expectations.

The student body is predominantly White, with a substantial Hispanic population and smaller shares of Asian, Black, and multiracial students. A modest share of students come from low-income households, as measured by eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch. The school does not serve older grades, so there is no graduation rate or high school course data to report. Information on special education and English learner populations was not available in the data reviewed.

Howell’s housing market reflects its desirability as a commuter town. Typical home values sit well above the national median, and the county-level market shows a limited supply of homes for sale relative to demand. That can make finding a home in the school’s attendance zone a competitive prospect. The township has seen population growth over recent decades, and local government has invested in infrastructure such as a relocated town hall and a municipal complex that houses the library branch, senior center, and police station. Parks and environmental areas like the Manasquan Reservoir and Allaire State Park are civic anchors.

No recent district-level changes such as budget shifts, curriculum updates, or construction projects were identified in public sources. The district brief found no parent-relevant changes from the past few years, so families should monitor district communications for upcoming developments. For a parent weighing elementary options in Monmouth County, Newbury offers an upper-elementary program in a growing suburban community. Its test results suggest that by the time students reach fifth grade, a majority meet state benchmarks in math and reading, though the school’s standing among county districts is in the lower half. A conversation with the school about academic support and enrichment opportunities would be a reasonable next step.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 337%

School 37% · District 51% · ▼ 14 pts below district

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

Grade 451%

School 51% · District 49% · ▲ 2 pts above district

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

Grade 554%

School 54% · District 46% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 333%

School 33% · District 45% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

Grade 461%

School 61% · District 54% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 6 pts above state median · even with county median

Grade 557%

School 57% · District 49% · ▲ 8 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 539%

School 39% · District 27% · ▲ 12 pts above district

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

This schoolHowell Township 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income14%Higher-income40%26 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income34%Higher-income70%36 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income33%Higher-income62%28 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income17%Higher-income45%27 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income26%Higher-income61%34 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income29%Higher-income58%30 pp gap