The top reported proficiency rate is 20% in English language arts. The lowest is 5% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Roosevelt Elementary School
Roosevelt Elementary School serves kindergarten through fifth grade in the New Brunswick School District, a state-designated SDA (formerly Abbott) district in Middlesex County. The school sits in a densely populated small city that functions as a regional hub for Central Jersey, home to Rutgers University’s main campus, the world headquarters of Johnson & Johnson, and two large hospital systems. It is both a college town and a commuter town for New York City via NJ Transit’s Northeast Corridor line. The city is ethnically diverse, with historically significant Hungarian, growing Asian, and Hispanic communities, and the school’s enrollment reflects that diversity: the student body is overwhelmingly Hispanic, with a much smaller share of Black students and a tiny share of White students. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic need.
Academically, Roosevelt’s state assessment results are soft. On the New Jersey Student Learning Assessments, the share of students scoring at proficient or above in math was in the low twenties for third and fourth graders, then dropped sharply for fifth graders, where it fell to a level that parents should look into further with the school. In English language arts, results followed a similar pattern: roughly a fifth of third and fourth graders met proficiency or above, while fifth graders again saw a much lower rate. Fifth-grade science proficiency was also very low. Across tested subjects and grades, the school’s overall proficiency index placed it in the bottom quartile relative to districts in Middlesex County. Multi-year trend data was not available, so it is not possible to say whether these results reflect a recent shift or a persistent pattern.
The school is a regular public elementary school, not a charter or magnet. It does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. The parent district, New Brunswick Public Schools, offers several structural features that may matter to families as children move up. The district participates in a P-TECH public-private partnership, allowing select students to earn both a high school diploma and an associate degree in engineering or an engineering-related field. New Brunswick High School is organized around four themed career institutes and two preparatory academies, shaping the high school experience around career pathways. As an SDA district, the state covers all costs for school building and renovation projects, a fiscal structure that affects local property tax burden for school facilities.
Housing in the area reflects the broader Middlesex County market. Home values and rents are moderate relative to the state overall, and the local market shows a mix of active listings, pending sales, and a median listing price that sits in a middle range for the region. A short commute to New York City via the train station adds to the area’s appeal for families who work in the city.
What is not in the data includes information on special education services, English learner support, class sizes, staffing ratios, discipline rates, chronic absenteeism, and course offerings. These are all gaps a parent would want to fill by visiting the school or speaking with the principal. The school’s website or the district office may provide more detail on after-school programs, parent involvement opportunities, and specific support structures for students who need extra help.
Roosevelt Elementary is a high-need urban school in a city with strong institutional anchors and career-oriented high school pathways. The academic results suggest that a family considering this school should ask directly about what interventions and supports are in place, particularly as students move into the upper elementary grades where proficiency rates drop. For families who value the broader context of a university town with transit access and healthcare-sector employment, the school sits within a district that offers clear post-elementary options, but the elementary-level performance numbers warrant a close conversation with the school itself.
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