Neptune Middle School, Neptune NJ

Original Research by School Decision on Neptune Middle School

Neptune Middle School is a regular public school serving grades six through eight in the Neptune Township School District. Its enrollment is moderate for a three-grade middle school, and the student body reflects the demographic diversity of the township itself: the largest group is Black students, followed closely by Hispanic students, with smaller shares of White students and students who identify as two or more races, plus a small Asian population. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which points to a community where economic need touches many families.

On the 2024–25 New Jersey state assessments, results were mixed by subject and grade. In English language arts, the share of students scoring proficient or above was moderately strong in sixth and eighth grades, but lower in seventh grade. In math, proficiency levels were notably lower across all three grades and especially weak in eighth grade. Science, which is tested only in eighth grade, showed very low proficiency. When the school’s overall test performance is placed against other school districts in Monmouth County, it falls in the bottom quartile. This is a straightforward indicator that the school faces significant academic challenges, particularly in math and science. A parent considering this school may want to ask about the specific interventions and supports in place for those subjects.

Several pieces of information that can help paint a fuller picture were not available. There is no reported data on chronic absenteeism, discipline patterns, course access, or staffing ratios, so a family cannot draw conclusions about those aspects from this data. The school reports no magnet or charter designation and does not have Title I status listed.

The setting of Neptune Township adds important context. The township is a sprawling Jersey Shore community that includes the historic, walkable Victorian enclave of Ocean Grove on the Atlantic, the midtown area undergoing municipal-led revitalization, and auto-oriented commercial strips along Route 66. The school’s location on Heck Avenue places it in the township’s interior. The area’s major employer is Jersey Shore University Medical Center, a large academic medical center. Housing in the township commands high prices relative to national averages; home values in the broader area are well above the typical U.S. level, and rents are similarly elevated. The district itself is one of New Jersey’s former Abbott districts, now designated as an SDA district, meaning the state covers the cost of school construction and renovation projects. No recent district-level changes of note were found in public reporting.

In sum, Neptune Middle School serves a diverse and economically varied student population in a township with distinct neighborhoods and a high-cost housing market. Its academic results place it well below the county median, with English language arts showing some relative strength and math and science representing clear areas of need. A family looking at this school will want to understand how the school addresses those gaps and what programs and supports are available to students at each grade level.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 618%

School 18% · District 18%

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 35 pts below county median

Grade 719%

School 19% · District 19%

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 27 pts below county median

Grade 810%

School 10% · District 10%

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 640%

School 40% · District 40%

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 27 pts below county median

Grade 730%

School 30% · District 30%

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 39 pts below county median

Grade 842%

School 42% · District 42%

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 27 pts below county median

Science

Grade 89%

School 9% · District 9%

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

This schoolNeptune 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 6Lower-income39%Higher-income46%7 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income23%Higher-income45%22 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income32%Higher-income59%27 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income13%Higher-income31%17 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income12%Higher-income33%21 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income7%Higher-income17%10 pp gap