The top reported proficiency rate is 73% in English language arts. The lowest is 54% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Kings Road School
Kings Road School is a public elementary school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in Madison, New Jersey. It is one of several elementary schools in the Madison Public School District, a small suburban district in Morris County about 20 to 25 miles west of Manhattan. The school sits in a residential neighborhood of a borough that is also a college town, home to Drew University and adjacent to Fairleigh Dickinson and Saint Elizabeth universities. Madison’s historic downtown, walkable Main Street shopping district, and NJ Transit rail station make it a commuter community for families who work in New York City or elsewhere in northern New Jersey.
The school enrolls a moderately sized student body for its grade band. The student population is predominantly white, with a smaller share of Asian and Hispanic students and a very small number of Black students. The share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch is low, reflecting the generally high-income character of the surrounding community. Housing values in the area are well above national and state benchmarks, and rents are also high, so the entry cost for living in this attendance zone is substantial. The school itself does not receive Title I funding, which aligns with the low poverty rate.
On state assessments, Kings Road School shows solid academic performance, with some variation by grade and subject. In English language arts, proficiency rates rise steadily across the tested grades, reaching a strong level in fifth grade. In math, the pattern is more uneven: third-grade proficiency is softer, while fourth and fifth grades reach a higher level. Science, tested only in fifth grade, falls in the middle range. Overall, the school’s proficiency index sits above the midpoint among districts in Morris County, a county with many high-performing districts. A parent considering the school should note that the third-grade math results are a relative soft spot, and it may be worth asking the school about its math curriculum and support for students in the early grades.
The school serves kindergarten through fifth grade, so there is no graduation rate or high school course access to report. The district’s shift to full-day kindergarten, implemented in the 2022-2023 school year, is a recent change that adds instructional time for the youngest students and eliminates the need for midday pickup. The district has faced budget pressures, with a property tax increase one year followed by a flat tax levy the next. Candidates for the school board have discussed potential future facilities needs, but no referendum has been held. The district’s budget situation is something a prospective resident may want to track, especially if they are concerned about future tax stability.
Data on certain student-support indicators is missing. The school does not report chronic absenteeism rates, and the number of students with disabilities or identified as English learners is not available in the public data. A parent with a child who has an Individualized Education Plan or who is learning English should ask the school directly about how it serves those populations. The school’s website may offer further detail, but the public record does not provide a clear picture.
Kings Road School is a neighborhood elementary school in a well-off, walkable suburb with strong commuter access. Academically, it performs above the median for its county, with particular strength in reading by the upper elementary grades. The combination of high housing costs, low poverty enrollment, and a college-town setting means the school serves a largely homogeneous community by income and, to a lesser extent, by race. For families who can afford to live in Madison, the school offers a solid foundation for elementary education.
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