Moorestown Upper Elementary School, Moorestown NJ

Original Research by School Decision on Moorestown Upper Elementary School

Moorestown Upper Elementary School serves fourth through sixth graders in the Moorestown Township Public School District, a regular public school that sits within a historic Philadelphia suburb known for its tree-lined residential streets, a national register historic district, and a longstanding reputation as a desirable place to live. The school is one link in a K‑12 system that feeds into a high school, but for families with children in these middle-elementary years, it is the classroom experience they will encounter directly.

On state assessments, the school’s students perform at a level that places it among the strongest in Burlington County. Across tested subjects and grades, the overall proficiency rate lands in the top quartile relative to other districts in the county. The pattern across subjects is consistent: in English language arts, proficiency rates are solidly above the midpoint of the county’s range, and in mathematics they are also strong, with a modest but steady climb from grade four to grade six. Science testing, which occurs only in grade five, shows a lower proficiency rate, though still above what many nearby elementary schools post. A parent may want to ask the school how science instruction is structured and whether the fifth-grade result reflects a curriculum emphasis or a testing quirk; there is no trend data yet to say whether this is a one-year snapshot or a pattern.

The student body is not especially diverse by New Jersey suburb standards. The largest group is white, with Asian students forming the next largest share, followed by smaller populations of Hispanic, Black, and multiracial students. Fewer than one in ten students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a figure that hints at the overall affluence of the community. No data was reported for students with individualized education plans or for English learners, so families with children who have special learning needs or who are acquiring English should check directly with the school about available supports.

Enrollment is large enough to feel like a proper school building with separate grade-level teams but not so large as to be anonymous. The school operates on a single campus at Borton Landing Road, and the district recently passed a bond referendum to fund major facility improvements across all its schools, including security upgrades, HVAC replacements, roof repairs, and accessibility enhancements. That work will affect the day‑to‑day environment for students currently enrolled and for families considering the school.

Moorestown itself is a primarily residential township about ten miles east of Philadelphia, with a historic village core along King’s Highway and a separate retail center at the Moorestown Mall. Housing values are well above the national median; the market shows strong demand and a low inventory of homes for sale. The township has seen modest, steady population growth, and its major employers include BAYADA Home Health Care and U.S. Navy operations. For a family moving to the area, the cost of entry into the community is high, and property taxes reflect the investment in schools that the bond referendum underscores.

This school fits a family that values consistently strong academic performance in a suburban setting with a historic downtown feel. The peer environment is generally academically oriented, and the community’s resources support that. The lower science proficiency rate is the main area that a prospective parent might want to explore further, but the core academic picture in reading and math is clearly positive.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 466%

School 66% · District 66%

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

Grade 567%

School 67% · District 67%

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

Grade 667%

School 67% · District 67%

▲ 34 pts above state median · ▲ 31 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 468%

School 68% · District 68%

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Grade 576%

School 76% · District 76%

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 29 pts above county median

Grade 675%

School 75% · District 75%

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 27 pts above county median

Science

Grade 557%

School 57% · District 57%

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 29 pts above county median

This schoolMoorestown Township Public 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 4Lower-income41%Higher-income71%30 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income50%Higher-income80%30 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income57%Higher-income78%21 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 4Lower-income38%Higher-income69%31 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income35%Higher-income72%37 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income50%Higher-income70%20 pp gap