Lincoln Elementary School, Newark NJ

Original Research by School Decision on Lincoln Elementary School

Lincoln Elementary School is a regular public school in Newark, serving students from pre-K through eighth grade. It is part of the Newark Public School District, a large urban system that has undergone significant change in recent years. The school sits in a dense residential section of a city that functions as New Jersey’s most populous municipality and a major East Coast employment and transit hub. The surrounding zip code reflects an urban housing market with home values somewhat above the national median but below the state median, and rents typical for the area; the broader Essex County market shows moderate listing activity.

The student body is predominantly Black, with a substantial share of Hispanic students, and a large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high-need population. The school’s grade span means it sends its eighth graders on to high school elsewhere; there is no graduation rate to report because Lincoln does not serve grades eleven or twelve.

On state assessments, proficiency rates across all tested subjects and grades are low. In math, the share of students reaching proficiency ranges from a small fraction in several grades to slightly higher in grade five, but remains well below typical county and state levels. English language arts results are modestly better but still show that only a minority of students meet the bar in any grade. Science results in grade five and grade eight are similarly low. Taken together, the school’s overall proficiency index lands in the bottom quartile when compared with other districts in Essex County. A parent looking at these results would want to talk directly with the school about its academic programs, support for struggling students, and any recent instructional initiatives.

Chronic absenteeism data were not available, and no information on discipline, staffing, or course access was provided. Because the school is a regular public school and not a charter or magnet, it draws its students from its attendance zone within the Newark Public Schools system.

The district itself has been in the news for positive reasons. Publicly reported information indicates that the New Jersey Department of Education declared Newark Public Schools a High Performing District in mid-2026, a milestone for a system that had been under state oversight for many years before regaining local control. The district has also launched a strategic plan covering the decade through 2030 and opened several new career-themed high schools in recent years, including schools focused on data science, fashion, global studies, architecture, and media. Those high schools represent expanded choice options for families once their children leave Lincoln, though the school’s own middle grades are part of the same building.

For a family evaluating Lincoln Elementary School, the picture is mixed. The school sits in a city with deep resources: universities, cultural venues, major employers, and transit connections. The district is investing in new pathways and has earned a state recognition that may signal broader improvement. But the school’s own academic results are a clear soft spot, and a parent likely wants to learn more about what supports are in place, how the school addresses skill gaps, and what the school experience is like day to day. The community context is urban and diverse, and the school serves a population with significant economic need, which may shape both the challenges and the strengths of the building.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 310%

School 10% · District 28% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 40 pts below state median · ▼ 29 pts below county median

Grade 411%

School 11% · District 23% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 35 pts below state median · ▼ 28 pts below county median

Grade 519%

School 19% · District 22% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Grade 64%

School 4% · District 18% · ▼ 13 pts below district

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

Grade 72%

School 2% · District 21% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▼ 33 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

Grade 84%

School 4% · District 12% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 312%

School 12% · District 28% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 33 pts below state median · ▼ 29 pts below county median

Grade 417%

School 17% · District 30% · ▼ 14 pts below district

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

Grade 529%

School 29% · District 31% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 25 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Grade 619%

School 19% · District 36% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 35 pts below state median · ▼ 31 pts below county median

Grade 722%

School 22% · District 38% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 35 pts below state median · ▼ 28 pts below county median

Grade 815%

School 15% · District 39% · ▼ 24 pts below district

▼ 43 pts below state median · ▼ 34 pts below county median

Science

Grade 516%

School 16% · District 10% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▼ 11 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 84%

School 4% · District 6% · ▼ 2 pts below district

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

This schoolNewark 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 6Lower-income19%Higher-income18%1 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income20%Higher-income29%9 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income12%Higher-income27%15 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income0%Higher-income20%20 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income2%Higher-income0%2 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income5%Higher-income0%5 pp gap