The top reported proficiency rate is 55% in Math. The lowest is 42% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Tabernacle Elementary School
Tabernacle Elementary School serves students from preschool through fourth grade in a single-building setting within the Tabernacle Township School District. The school is a regular public elementary school, not a charter or magnet, and it functions as the only elementary school in this small, low-density Pinelands community. Because it serves only early and primary grades, there is no graduation rate to report, and state testing results are available only for the grades that are assessed—third and fourth grade.
The student body at Tabernacle Elementary is overwhelmingly white, with a modest Hispanic share and smaller numbers of Black, Asian, and multiracial students. A relatively low proportion of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is consistent with the area’s generally mid-to-upper middle income housing profile. Data on students with disabilities and English learners were not reported, so a parent interested in those specific supports would want to follow up directly with the school.
On state assessments, Tabernacle Elementary’s results present a mixed picture that is still above the midpoint for overall proficiency across tested grades and subjects when compared with other Burlington County districts. In third-grade math, a solid majority of students met the NJSLA proficiency benchmark, a notably strong result for that grade and subject. In fourth-grade math, however, the share of students reaching proficiency was lower, and a parent might want to ask the school about how the transition from third to fourth grade affects math instruction or curriculum alignment. In English language arts, proficiency rates for both third and fourth graders were roughly similar, hovering around the low forty-percent range. That is below the math results, particularly the third-grade peak, and suggests that reading and writing skills may be an area the school is working to strengthen.
The school’s environment reflects its setting. Tabernacle Township is a semi-rural, forested municipality within the New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve, where development is constrained by environmental regulations. The population peaked decades ago and has been slowly declining, with no major new housing projects identified. The school sits along New Road in a loose civic cluster that includes the municipal building and the district’s middle school across the street. This is a car-dependent community; there is no walkable downtown, and daily life for families revolves around driving.
Housing in the Tabernacle area is priced well above the national benchmark, and rents are moderate relative to incomes. The local housing market has seen some activity, with homes selling relatively quickly. For a family considering moving to the district, the cost of entry is substantial but still below some higher-priced suburbs in Burlington County.
Because the district brief found no recent notable changes to the Tabernacle Township School District, the school’s offerings and operations appear stable. No program details—such as gifted, specials, or enrichment—were included in the data, so a parent would need to consult the school website or a visit to understand what is available beyond the core curriculum. What is clear is that Tabernacle Elementary offers a straightforward, neighborhood-focused primary education in a rural Pinelands setting, with a student body that is moderately homogeneous and a proficiency picture that is above the county midpoint overall but with room for improvement in literacy and in maintaining math gains across grade levels.
See more original research from School Decision →