The top reported proficiency rate is 26% in English language arts. The lowest is 12% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Robert N. Wilentz Elementary School
Robert N. Wilentz Elementary School serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Perth Amboy, a dense, small urban city in Middlesex County with a majority-Hispanic population and a long history as a port and industrial center. The school is part of the Perth Amboy Public School District and is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. The district sits within a county of three dozen school systems, and on the measure of overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades, Wilentz places in the bottom quartile among those districts.
The student body is overwhelmingly Hispanic, and a substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a school where a very large majority of families are navigating economic pressures, and the student population reflects a community that has long served as a point of entry for new immigrants. The grade span is limited to elementary, so there is no graduation rate to report, and no chronic absenteeism data was available in the source material.
On state assessments, the picture is mixed across subjects and grades. In math, the share of students scoring at proficient or above was roughly one in five for third and fourth graders, and closer to one in three for fifth graders. English language arts results were similar: about one in six third graders reached proficiency, rising to roughly one in four fourth graders and one in three fifth graders. Science results for fifth graders were lower, with roughly one in nine students reaching the proficient level. A parent looking at these outcomes would want to understand what academic support the school provides, particularly in literacy in the early grades, and whether the school has specific programs to address these performance levels. The data does not include information on the share of students with disabilities or those classified as English learners, which are common at schools serving high-immigrant communities and can affect aggregate test scores.
The school is a relatively large elementary school for its grade band. Enrollment is spread fairly evenly across kindergarten through fifth grade, with each grade holding roughly similar numbers of students.
Housing in the area is moderately priced relative to the region. Home values in the zip code near the school are below the state median, and rents are also below the state average. The county's housing market shows a moderate pace of sales, with homes typically going under contract in about a month. For a family considering this school, the neighborhood offers a relatively affordable entry point into the New York City commuter shed. NJ Transit rail service from Perth Amboy provides direct access to Penn Station in Manhattan, and the Outerbridge Crossing connects to Staten Island.
The district itself did not have publicly reported recent strategic changes or major developments in the source material. The school's own program offerings were not detailed in the data, so it is not possible to say what enrichment, arts, or special programs are available. A family considering Wilentz would want to visit the school to learn about its academic interventions, its approach to supporting students who are learning English, and what extracurricular or after-school activities exist. The school's location in a dense urban setting means it draws from the surrounding walkable neighborhoods, and the historic downtown with its parks and transit hub is a short distance away. The city's industrial waterfront remains active, and redevelopment efforts have been underway since the 1990s, with the city designated as an Urban Enterprise Zone.
This is a school where the academic results are below statewide averages, and the student population is economically diverse and predominantly Hispanic. The path forward for a family is to look closely at what the school is doing to raise achievement and to consider whether its supports match their child's needs. No further conclusions can be drawn without information on staffing, class sizes, discipline, or program offerings, which were not included in the available data.
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