The top reported proficiency rate is 28% in English language arts. The lowest is 4% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Riverside Middle School
Riverside Middle School is a regular public school serving grades six through eight in the Riverside Township School District. It sits within a small, densely settled township along the Delaware River in Burlington County, part of the Philadelphia–Camden combined statistical area. The school is one of three in the district, positioned between an elementary school and a high school that also receives students from neighboring Delanco Township through a sending-receiving arrangement.
The school’s academic performance on New Jersey’s NJSLA assessments is a soft spot that any parent considering this school should look into carefully with the school itself. Proficiency rates in math are low across all three grades, with the eighth-grade rate a particular area of concern. English language arts results are higher but still below what many families would expect, with only a modest share of students meeting the state’s proficiency criteria in sixth and seventh grades and a somewhat higher share in eighth grade. Science results, tested only in eighth grade, are also very low. When compared against other districts in Burlington County, Riverside Middle School’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades falls in the bottom quartile of the county’s school districts. These patterns indicate that a substantial number of students are not reaching grade-level benchmarks, and a parent may want to ask what academic interventions or supports are in place.
The student body is small for a middle school. It is diverse in its composition, with Hispanic students and White students each making up a substantial share of the enrollment, Black students present in the single digits as a proportion, and very small numbers of Asian, American Indian, and multiracial students. A large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, signaling high levels of economic need within the school community. Data on the share of students with individualized education plans or English learner status was not available in the source material, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about its special education and language support programs.
Riverside itself is a historic township originally called “Progress.” It packs a dense population into a very small land area, with a walkable street grid typical of older Delaware River towns. The River Line light rail station near the town center connects residents to Camden and Trenton, and bus service runs between Camden and Burlington. The township’s municipal website describes it as an “up and moving small town” and part of a regional redevelopment area recognized for growth, though its own population has been relatively stable with a slight decline in recent decades. Home values and rents in the area are moderate relative to the broader region. No major recent district-level changes, such as facility upgrades or program expansions, were publicly reported in available sources, which may mean a parent should check directly with the district for any current initiatives.
Because Riverside Middle School does not serve high school grades, no graduation rate is reported, and data on chronic absenteeism and disciplinary patterns was also absent from the information available. The school’s website and program offerings were not detailed in the source material, leaving gaps in what a family can assess about extracurriculars, course choices, and support services. For a parent evaluating this school, the primary considerations are the low academic attainment levels relative to county peers and the high poverty context, alongside a small, diverse student population in a transit-connected, historic river town.
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