The top reported proficiency rate is 78% in English language arts. The lowest is 55% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Navesink Elementary School
Navesink Elementary School serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Atlantic Highlands, and it operates as a regular public school within the larger Middletown Township Public School District. The school is located on Monmouth Avenue, a short walk from the borough’s compact First Avenue commercial strip. Atlantic Highlands is a small, primarily residential Victorian-era borough on the Raritan Bayshore, with a municipal harbor that offers ferry service to Manhattan and a downtown that has received an Arts, Cultural, and Entertainment designation from Monmouth County. The housing market in the area is expensive, reflecting the desirability of this coastal corner of the county. The school is one of many elementary schools in the Middletown district, which is a large, suburban system.
The student body at Navesink is predominantly white, with a small share of students identifying as Hispanic and very small shares identifying as Asian, Black, or two or more races. A small share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on students with individualized education programs and English learners was not available. The school’s enrollment is modest in size for an elementary school.
Academic performance on the New Jersey Student Learning Assessment shows a pattern that shifts noticeably by grade and subject. In third-grade math, a substantial majority of students met proficiency standards, and that share rose in both fourth and fifth grade, where about three-quarters or more of students scored proficient or above. English language arts results tell a similar story of growth, with roughly three in five third-grade students demonstrating proficiency, climbing to a strong majority in fourth grade and a high share in fifth grade. Science, which is tested only in fifth grade, showed roughly half of students meeting the state’s proficiency benchmark. Across the tested subjects and grades, the school’s overall proficiency index places it well within the top quartile among elementary schools in Monmouth County, indicating a consistently high level of academic achievement compared with local peers.
Because Navesink is an elementary school serving only grades kindergarten through five, it does not produce a graduation rate. That metric applies only to high schools and is therefore not relevant here. The data also does not include chronic absenteeism figures, so it is not possible to assess attendance patterns directly from this information.
The school operates within the Middletown Township Public School District, which is a large, well-established suburban district. The district brief did not surface any recent parent-relevant changes, such as boundary adjustments, new programs, or major budget shifts, that would alter a family’s understanding of the school’s current operating context. The most notable institutional change in the immediate area happened in July 2024, when the Atlantic Highlands School District, the Highlands School District, and Henry Hudson Regional High School consolidated into a single Henry Hudson Regional School District. That consolidation affects students in Atlantic Highlands and Highlands for grades seven through twelve, but it does not change Navesink’s governance, which remains within the Middletown district.
The community context is one of modest, stable growth. Atlantic Highlands has seen a small population increase over the past decade, and its housing stock includes many preserved Victorian homes. The borough’s park system, the Henry Hudson Trail, and the harbor with its ferry to New York City are defining features. For a family considering this school, the academic picture is strong, with rising proficiency rates through the elementary grades and a performance profile that ranks high within the county. The school’s small size and the town’s walkable, historic character are likely draws for families who want a tight-knit elementary experience within commuting reach of the city. Families moving within the district should confirm their attendance zone, but for those assigned to Navesink, the data points to a consistently high-performing option.
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