The top reported proficiency rate is 51% in English language arts. The lowest is 48% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Mckinley Avenue Elementary School
McKinley Avenue Elementary School serves just third and fourth graders in the Stafford Township School District, making it a short, focused stop in a child’s primary education. The school is a regular public school located in Manahawkin, a census-designated place that sits at the intersection of Route 72 and Route 9 in Ocean County, often described as the gateway to Long Beach Island. The area blends suburban residential streets with highway-oriented retail, and the school itself sits within that auto-oriented landscape.
Enrollment is large for a school covering only two grade levels. The student body is predominantly white, with a Hispanic population that makes up the next largest group, and smaller shares of Asian, Black, multiracial, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. About a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a measure of economic need that is moderately lower than many districts in the county. Data for students with disabilities and English learners was not available in this profile, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those programs and supports.
Academically, McKinley Avenue produces results that place the school in the top quartile among elementary schools in the county’s districts. On the New Jersey Student Learning Assessments, more than two out of five third graders scored proficient or above in English language arts, and in fourth grade that share rose to roughly three out of five. Math proficiency was also a relative strength. Just under half of third graders met the bar, and fourth graders performed at a similar level. These figures represent a school performing above the midpoint for the county across the subjects and grades tested.
Because the school spans only two grades, there is no graduation rate to report, and no chronic absenteeism data was available for this profile. The absence of those metrics is expected for a school of this grade band and does not reflect on the school’s quality.
The housing context for families considering the area reflects the broader Ocean County market. Home values in the 08050 zip code are above the national benchmark but below the New Jersey state benchmark. The county’s housing market shows an increase in active listings and new listings compared to the prior year, though the median listing price has softened slightly over the same period. Homes are selling at a median pace that is modestly faster than a year ago. Rents in the area are high relative to the national median household income, suggesting that buying may be more cost-effective than renting for families who can manage a down payment.
Manahawkin itself has seen steady population growth over the past few decades, and the area continues to develop residentially along the Route 72 corridor. The district brief turned up no major recent changes to report, such as a referendum, budget crisis, or curriculum overhaul. McKinley Avenue functions as a stable, middle-of-the-road elementary option within a growing community, with academic results that outpace many peers in the county but no standout data points that demand attention. It fits a family looking for a solid, straightforward academic start in a suburban shore-adjacent setting, with the understanding that students will move on to other district schools for later grades.
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