Oxford Central School, Oxford NJ

Original Research by School Decision on Oxford Central School

Oxford Central School is the sole public school in Oxford Township, serving students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade in a single building. This is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and it operates as a traditional neighborhood school for the community. Because there is no high school attached, students move on to Warren Hills Regional High School in a neighboring township after eighth grade, which is a feature worth knowing if you are looking at the full K-12 arc.

Academically, the school’s state assessment results present a clear pattern. In elementary math, third graders show a strong proficiency rate, but by fourth grade that rate drops substantially and remains below half through sixth, seventh, and eighth grades, with eighth-grade math being the weakest subject across the school. In English language arts, the story is different. Starting in fifth grade, proficiency rates climb and hold at a solid level through eighth grade, making ELA a consistent strength in the upper grades. Science results are mixed: fifth-grade science is around average, while eighth-grade science is very low, a gap a parent may want to explore further with the school. Overall, when the school’s combined proficiency across subjects and grades is compared to other districts in Warren County, it sits above the midpoint. That is a meaningful point of reference, though the district-level comparison does not isolate this single school against other individual schools.

The student body is relatively small and demographically homogeneous, with the majority of students identifying as white. About one in six students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is a modest share. Class sizes are not reported here, but the total enrollment of the school is small for a pre-K through eighth-grade building, which often allows for more individual attention. The school does not report data on students with disabilities or English learners, so you would need to contact the school directly for that information.

Oxford Township itself is a rural community with a quiet, residential character. The historical iron industry left behind landmarks like Oxford Furnace and Furnace Lake, which serve as recreational anchors. Population has been stable with a slight decline in recent years, and there are no signs of major new housing development. The housing market reflects a typical small-town New Jersey pattern: home values are below the state median but above the national median, and the county’s market shows moderate activity. For a family considering a move, this suggests a settled, low-growth environment rather than a rapidly changing one.

Because this is a single-school district, the school is tightly tied to the town. There is no school choice within the district beyond what the building itself offers. The absence of a high school means that for grades nine through twelve, your child would attend a regional high school in a different municipality, which is an important logistical and social consideration. The district did not report any recent major changes or initiatives, so the school appears to be operating in a steady state.

Oxford Central School fits families who value a small, community-anchored school where their child can move through elementary and middle school in a consistent setting. The academic picture is uneven: reading becomes a clear strength by middle school, while math and science proficiency lag in the upper grades, particularly for eighth graders. If your child needs strong math support or advanced math opportunities, it is worth investigating what interventions or enrichment are available. The school’s size and rural setting mean less diversity and fewer program options than a larger suburban or urban school, but also less bureaucracy and a closer connection between school and town.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 372%

School 72% · District 72%

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 20 pts above county median

Grade 430%

School 30% · District 30%

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

Grade 552%

School 52% · District 52%

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 643%

School 43% · District 43%

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 742%

School 42% · District 42%

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 821%

School 21% · District 21%

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 332%

School 32% · District 32%

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 444%

School 44% · District 44%

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

Grade 561%

School 61% · District 61%

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

Grade 664%

School 64% · District 64%

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Grade 760%

School 60% · District 60%

▲ 3 pts above state median · even with county median

Grade 868%

School 68% · District 68%

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Science

Grade 531%

School 31% · District 31%

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 88%

School 8% · District 8%

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

This schoolOxford 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 4Lower-income33%Higher-income55%21 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income62%Higher-income61%0 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 4Lower-income25%Higher-income36%11 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income31%Higher-income67%36 pp gap