The top reported proficiency rate is 27% in Math. The lowest is 20% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Ocean Gate Elementary School
Ocean Gate Elementary School is a very small public school serving prekindergarten through sixth grade in the borough of Ocean Gate, New Jersey. It is the only school in the Ocean Gate School District, a one-building district. The school serves children who live in the borough, and once students reach seventh grade they leave the district to attend Central Regional Middle School and High School, which are located outside of Ocean Gate. The school’s enrollment is small, and the student body is majority white, with a substantial share of Hispanic students and smaller numbers of students who identify as Black or as two or more races. About half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on the share of students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the reporting we reviewed.
On state assessments administered in the 2024–25 school year, proficiency rates across math, English language arts, and science were low. In third-grade math and ELA, only a very small fraction of students scored at the proficient or above level. Rates improved somewhat in fourth and fifth grades, with roughly a quarter to a third of students reaching proficiency in ELA and a similar pattern in math, though fifth-grade math showed a higher share. By sixth grade, proficiency rates slipped back again. In fifth-grade science, the proportion of students scoring proficient was low as well. When compared across tested grades and subjects, the school’s overall proficiency index placed it in the bottom quartile relative to districts in Ocean County. The small number of students tested in each grade means that a single student’s score can shift the rate noticeably, so families may want to discuss individual classroom performance directly with the school.
The school itself is located in a compact residential borough on the Toms River, with a boardwalk, a yacht club, and a seasonal beach-town character. The borough’s population has declined over recent decades, and it remains a quiet, small enclave. The most significant development for this school is a publicly reported decision to close Ocean Gate Elementary School at the end of the 2025–26 school year, following a budget shortfall and a voter rejection of a proposed tax increase. Under a five-year agreement, students will then attend schools in the Berkeley Township School District. This means that families currently enrolled, as well as any families considering the borough, are facing a transition that will remove the local elementary school entirely.
The housing market in Ocean Gate’s zip code shows home values roughly in line with the New Jersey state benchmark, though the national context makes the area relatively expensive. The county market has been active with moderate supply. Because the school is closing, the link between local property and a neighborhood school is about to be broken, which may matter to homebuyers who prioritize walking distance to an elementary school.
No data on discipline, course access, staffing ratios, or chronic absenteeism was available in the source material. The school serves only grades PK through 6, so metrics like graduation rates do not apply. This profile leaves an incomplete picture of day-to-day school climate; a family considering the borough before the closure could ask the school directly about class sizes, enrichment offerings, and support services.
In short, Ocean Gate Elementary School is a small, low-proficiency school in a shrinking shore borough, and it is scheduled to close after the 2025–26 year. For the time being, it serves its local students, but the school’s future is set to move those students to a neighboring district.
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