Ridgeway Elementary School, Manchester NJ

Original Research by School Decision on Ridgeway Elementary School

Ridgeway Elementary School serves students from prekindergarten through fifth grade in the Manchester Township School District, located in Ocean County, New Jersey. It is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and its student body of roughly several hundred children reflects the surrounding community’s diversity. Hispanic and White students each make up a significant share of enrollment, with Black and multiracial groups also present. More than half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that a substantial portion of families face economic challenges. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not reported in the available records, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those support services.

Academically, Ridgeway Elementary participates in New Jersey’s state assessment program, the NJSLA, for grades three through five. Looking at the school’s overall performance across tested subjects and grades, it sits below the midpoint when compared with other districts in Ocean County. Results vary by subject and grade. In mathematics, proficiency rates for third, fourth, and fifth graders show that roughly a third or fewer students met the state’s proficient or above threshold. English language arts performance is stronger in fifth grade, where about half of students reached that level, while third and fourth grade rates were lower. Science is tested only in fifth grade, and that year’s proficiency rate was modest. These are the most recent available results, and because the school serves only elementary grades, there is no high school graduation rate to consider.

The school environment and access data are incomplete. The available records did not include information on discipline rates, chronic absenteeism, staffing ratios, or course access. That means a family looking for a full picture of daily life at the school will want to gather those details from the district or school directly. The school’s grade span means that students move on to a middle school after fifth grade, so the experience at Ridgeway is the early foundation of a longer K-12 pathway.

The housing context around the school reflects a middle-market area within Ocean County. Home values here are below the statewide median but roughly in line with national benchmarks, and the rental market is a common option for many families. The local economy shows typical unemployment and mortgage rate conditions. No recent district-level changes or initiatives were found in public searches, so there is nothing on the record about new programs, boundary shifts, or facility updates that would alter a family’s decision in the near term.

Ridgeway Elementary is a neighborhood school with a diverse student body and a significant share of families using federal meal assistance. Academic proficiency on state tests is below the county average across the grades tested, with a noticeable uptick in fifth-grade reading that may warrant a closer look from parents. Families considering this school will likely want to visit, speak with teachers and the principal about supports for students who are not yet meeting benchmarks, and check on the services available for any child with special needs or language development needs. The surrounding community offers relatively affordable housing for the region, and the district’s elementary-to-middle school transition is the next step after fifth grade.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 331%

School 31% · District 36% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 428%

School 28% · District 35% · ▼ 6 pts below district

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

Grade 535%

School 35% · District 33% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 335%

School 35% · District 38% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 436%

School 36% · District 40% · ▼ 3 pts below district

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

Grade 553%

School 53% · District 49% · ▲ 4 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 522%

School 22% · District 20% · ▲ 2 pts above district

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

This schoolManchester Township 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-income21%Higher-income50%29 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income20%Higher-income61%41 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income47%Higher-income60%13 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income15%Higher-income47%33 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income19%Higher-income44%25 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income32%Higher-income39%6 pp gap