The top reported proficiency rate is 21% in English language arts. The lowest is 9% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Joseph C. Caruso School
Joseph C. Caruso School is a regular public elementary school in Keansburg, New Jersey, serving kindergarten through fifth grade as part of the Keansburg School District. The school is embedded in a small, densely populated borough on the Raritan Bay that mixes tight residential blocks with a historic boardwalk and amusement area. The community has seen a long-term population decline over the past two decades, though recent estimates suggest a slight uptick. Housing values in the area are below the Monmouth County median, and rents are relatively moderate compared to the county and state, placing the borough as one of the more affordable entry points in the region. The school draws its students entirely from this compact, walkable town.
The student body is diverse in its racial and ethnic composition. White students make up the largest share, followed by Hispanic and Black students, with smaller numbers of Asian, multiracial, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that many families are managing on lower household incomes. Enrollment is spread relatively evenly across the elementary grades, with kindergarten through fifth grade each holding a comparable number of students.
State assessment results for the 2024-25 school year give a clear picture of academic performance across math, English language arts, and science. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or above was modest across all tested grades, with fourth grade showing a somewhat higher rate than third and fifth grades. In English language arts, the same pattern held: fourth graders posted a higher proficiency rate, while third and fifth graders were lower. In fifth-grade science, proficiency was low. Across all subjects and grades combined, the school’s overall proficiency index placed it in the bottom quartile relative to districts in Monmouth County. The county is a large and varied one, with dozens of districts spanning a wide range of outcomes, so this comparison puts the school at the lower end of a broad field. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand what instructional supports and interventions are in place.
The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. Data on special education identification and English learner status was not available in the provided records, and the school’s Title I status was not specified. Information on staffing ratios, class sizes, course access, and discipline was also absent, so a parent would need to contact the school directly or consult the district office for those details. The district brief turned up no recent, parent-relevant structural changes such as referendums, curriculum overhauls, or major construction projects that would reshape the school experience.
The school is housed in the same tight borough fabric as the rest of Keansburg’s civic and commercial life. There is no separate campus set apart from the town; the school sits within the grid of homes and small commercial streets. The boardwalk and waterfront are the borough’s primary recreational and gathering spaces, and the town’s density means most families live within a short walk or drive of the school. For a family choosing this school, the academic picture is the central consideration: it serves a high-need population in a district that, based on the available testing data, is working from a low proficiency base compared to much of the surrounding county. The school’s strengths lie in its role as a neighborhood anchor in a compact, walkable borough, with a diverse student body and a setting that is more affordable than many Monmouth County communities.
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