Woodrow Wilson Elementary School, New Brunswick NJ

Original Research by School Decision on Woodrow Wilson Elementary School

Woodrow Wilson Elementary School serves students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade in the New Brunswick School District. It is a regular public school in a small, urban setting within New Brunswick, a densely populated city that acts as a central hub for Middlesex County. The city blends the main campus of Rutgers University, major corporate headquarters for pharmaceutical companies, and large hospital systems, giving the area a distinct college-town and medical-sciences character. The school itself is located in a residential neighborhood and draws its student body from the surrounding community.

The student population is diverse, with a large majority identifying as Hispanic, followed by smaller shares of Black, White, Asian, and multiracial students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that a significant portion of families face economic challenges. The school's grade span is unusual for an elementary school, extending through middle school, which means a child can attend Woodrow Wilson from the early years through the completion of eighth grade without needing to change schools midstream.

State testing results from the New Jersey Student Learning Assessment show a mixed picture across subjects and grade levels. In English language arts, performance varies from one grade to the next, with some grades showing a higher share of students meeting proficiency standards than others. In mathematics, the share of students reaching proficiency is low across all tested grades, and a similar pattern appears in science, where few students met the proficiency benchmark. Overall, when the school's performance is compared to other schools within its own district and across Middlesex County, the proficiency index places Woodrow Wilson in the bottom quartile among its county peers. A parent may want to discuss the school's academic support strategies and intervention programs directly with the administration to understand how the school is addressing these outcomes.

The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. Data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, staffing ratios, and course access were not available, leaving a gap in the picture of the school's environment and daily operations. Similarly, information on English learner and special education populations was not reported in the data we reviewed. These are areas a family may wish to ask about during a school visit.

For families considering this school, the district context is relevant. New Brunswick Public Schools is a former Abbott district, now an SDA district, meaning the state covers the cost of school construction and major renovations, which can affect local property tax obligations. The district has also invested in career-oriented pathways at the high school level, including a P-TECH program that allows select students to earn an associate degree alongside a high school diploma, and career institutes at the high school. However, these are high school programs, and the direct feeder pattern from Woodrow Wilson into them is not detailed in the available data.

Housing in the area reflects the broader Middlesex County market, where home values and rents are at levels that reflect the region's proximity to New York City and the presence of major employers. The city's transit connectivity, with a major NJ Transit rail stop downtown, makes it a viable location for commuters.

Woodrow Wilson Elementary School serves a high-need, diverse student body in a city with strong institutional anchors. The academic proficiency numbers are low, and families should expect to engage actively with the school to understand the supports available for student learning. The school provides a single, continuous setting from early childhood through middle school, which some families may see as a benefit for stability.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 328%

School 28% · District 18% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

Grade 435%

School 35% · District 23% · ▲ 12 pts above district

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

Grade 50%

School 0% · District 16% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 43 pts below state median · ▼ 46 pts below county median

Grade 617%

School 17% · District 10% · ▲ 7 pts above district

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

Grade 716%

School 16% · District 15% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

Grade 86%

School 6% · District 7% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 38%

School 8% · District 19% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 37 pts below state median · ▼ 37 pts below county median

Grade 430%

School 30% · District 30% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 25 pts below state median · ▼ 26 pts below county median

Grade 544%

School 44% · District 29% · ▲ 16 pts above district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Grade 650%

School 50% · District 28% · ▲ 22 pts above district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 722%

School 22% · District 27% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 35 pts below state median · ▼ 30 pts below county median

Grade 822%

School 22% · District 35% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 36 pts below state median · ▼ 33 pts below county median

Science

Grade 50%

School 0% · District 9% · ▼ 9 pts below district

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

Grade 84%

School 4% · District 2% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

This schoolNew Brunswick 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 7Lower-income19%Higher-income36%18 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income18%Higher-income33%16 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 7Lower-income11%Higher-income36%25 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income5%Higher-income8%3 pp gap