The top reported proficiency rate is 59% in English language arts. The lowest is 25% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Pitman Jr./sr. High School
Pitman Jr./Sr. High School is a single, combined school for seventh through twelfth grade that sits at the center of this small Gloucester County borough. The school serves as the sole upper-grade campus for the entire Pitman Boro School District, a district that recently restructured due to state aid losses. That reconfiguration, implemented in the 2023-24 school year, closed two elementary schools and shifted each building’s grade bands, meaning the current arrangement of schools is still relatively new for families navigating the system.
Academically, the picture is mixed and worth a close look. On the English language arts assessments, the school’s seventh and eighth graders posted results that land comfortably above the midpoint when measured against other districts in Gloucester County. The eighth-grade cohort, in particular, performed at a level that suggests a solid foundation in reading and writing for a school of this size. However, mathematics tells a different story. The seventh-grade math proficiency rate fell short of half, and the eighth-grade math rate dropped considerably lower, representing a noticeable soft spot. Science results for eighth graders also came in well below where many would hope, with only about a quarter of students meeting the state’s proficiency bar. A parent looking at these numbers should explore what math and science supports the school offers and how the transition to high school coursework addresses these gaps. The school’s overall proficiency index, which averages performance across all tested subjects and grades, places it below the midpoint among Gloucester County districts, giving a clear signal that while ELA is a relative strength, the STEM side needs attention.
The school environment is shaped by the town itself. Pitman is a compact, walkable borough where the district famously operates without school buses; children walk to school. The student body is overwhelmingly white, with a small share of Hispanic students and an even smaller share of Black and Asian students. About one in six students qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, a rate that is modest but not negligible. The school serves grades seven through twelve under one roof, which means middle and high school students share the same building. For some families, this creates a continuous pathway and a sense of community that spans six years; for others, the mixing of younger and older adolescents may be a consideration.
The borough itself is small and residential, with a historic camp-meeting origin that gives it a distinctive, planned layout around Pitman Grove. Broadway serves as the main commercial strip with independent shops and restaurants, and the town ended its dry status in recent years, leading to new breweries. Housing values in Pitman’s zip code are above the national benchmark but below the New Jersey state benchmark, placing it as a moderately priced option relative to the region. The county’s housing market shows a median listing price that has held steady, with homes moving reasonably quickly.
Graduation rate data for this school was not available in the materials provided, so a family should ask the school directly about its four-year completion outcomes. Similarly, information on discipline, chronic absenteeism, course access, staffing ratios, and special education or English learner populations was missing from the available record. The school’s website and the district office would be the places to get a fuller picture of day-to-day operations and student support structures.
What is clear is that this school is the academic anchor of a small, walkable town that has undergone recent structural change. The ELA results are a genuine strength. The math and science results raise questions that a prospective family would want to investigate. The combined junior/senior high format is a distinct feature that some will see as an advantage and others as a trade-off. The absence of busing means that where you live in the borough directly determines how your child gets to school, which is an unusual and practical consideration for many families.
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