Mansfield Township Elementary, Port Murray NJ

Original Research by School Decision on Mansfield Township Elementary

Mansfield Township Elementary is the only school in a small, pre-K-through-sixth-grade district in rural Warren County, serving the unincorporated community of Port Murray and the surrounding township. It is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and it does not have high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report and no secondary-level metrics such as AP or dual-enrollment pathways.

The school enrolls a student body that is predominantly white, with a substantial Hispanic population and smaller shares of Black and Asian students. More than a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a moderate level of economic need. Special education and English learner counts were not available in the data, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those supports.

On the New Jersey Student Learning Assessments, the school’s results vary noticeably by subject and grade. In math, proficiency rates were below the midpoint among Warren County districts in the most recent testing year, with rates across grades three through six all below where many local families might hope. The highest math proficiency was in third grade, and the lowest was in sixth. In English language arts, the picture was more mixed. Third grade had a low proficiency rate, but fourth, fifth, and sixth grades all showed stronger results, with sixth graders reaching a level roughly in line with what one would expect from a solid elementary program. Science, tested in fifth grade, came in with a proficiency rate that is a soft spot a parent may want to look into further with the school. The pattern across grades suggests that early literacy may be an area of focus or concern, while upper-grade reading outcomes are comparatively stronger.

The school serves grades pre-K through six, and its enrollment is sizable for a single elementary building in a rural township. The community of Port Murray is tiny, a census-designated place with a historic Main Street listed on the National Register, originally tied to the Morris Canal and the railroad. Population estimates vary and appear to show either very modest growth or decline depending on the source, but the area remains low-density and rural. The school itself sits on its own campus within the broader Mansfield Township area rather than in the compact historic village center, so it is a drive-to school for most families.

Housing values in the ZIP code that includes Port Murray are above the national median but below the New Jersey state benchmark. The county housing market shows a moderate supply of listings and a median listing price that has risen modestly over the past year, with homes typically selling within about a month. This is not a high-pressure market, but affordability relative to local incomes may be a consideration for families moving into the district.

No recent parent-relevant changes were found for the Mansfield Township Elementary School District. No referendums, budget votes, curriculum shifts, or property tax changes were reported in the search results. The district appears to have been operating steadily without major public initiatives in the last several years.

For a family considering this school, the central question is how the uneven academic results align with their expectations. The school offers a typical elementary experience in a rural setting, with a moderate level of economic diversity and an ELA program that strengthens in the upper grades. A parent whose child struggles with early reading may want to understand what interventions are in place. The lack of data on special education and English learner populations means a direct conversation with the school is advisable for any family with a child who may need those services. The district’s small size and single-building structure mean that the elementary years are self-contained; after sixth grade, students move on to a regional high school, Warren Hills Regional, which is a separate district and would require its own evaluation.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 345%

School 45% · District 45%

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

Grade 442%

School 42% · District 42%

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

Grade 542%

School 42% · District 42%

even with state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 633%

School 33% · District 33%

even with state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 322%

School 22% · District 22%

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

Grade 452%

School 52% · District 52%

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

Grade 555%

School 55% · District 55%

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

Grade 661%

School 61% · District 61%

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Science

Grade 529%

School 29% · District 29%

▲ 2 pts above state median · even with county median

This schoolMansfield Township Elementary 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-income16%Higher-income28%12 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income38%Higher-income61%22 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income28%Higher-income72%44 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income51%Higher-income70%19 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income41%Higher-income50%9 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income27%Higher-income53%26 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income22%Higher-income56%33 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income30%Higher-income36%6 pp gap