The top reported proficiency rate is 10% in Math. The lowest is 7% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Cadwalader Elementary School
Cadwalader Elementary School serves kindergarten through third grade in Trenton, the state capital and county seat of Mercer County. This is a regular public school within the Trenton Public School District. Because it only covers the early elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report, and the school’s academic picture is based entirely on third-grade state assessments.
The school is located on Edgewood Avenue in Trenton, a dense city that was once a major manufacturing hub for iron, steel, rubber, and pottery. Today, the State of New Jersey is the dominant employer, and government complexes anchor the downtown along the Delaware River. Trenton is the only city in New Jersey served by three commuter rail systems—Amtrak, NJ Transit, and SEPTA—and the city has encouraged transit-oriented development. The population has grown modestly in recent years after a period of slight decline.
Cadwalader Elementary is a small school by enrollment, serving just under 200 students across grades kindergarten through three. The student body is predominantly Black, with a substantial Hispanic population and small numbers of white students, students of two or more races, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. About a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on students with disabilities and English learners were not reported.
On the most recent state assessments, the New Jersey Student Learning Assessment, third graders at Cadwalader were tested in math and English language arts. In both subjects, the share of students scoring proficient was in the single digits. Compared with other schools across districts in Mercer County, the school’s overall proficiency index fell in the bottom quartile. A family considering this school should understand that academic performance on these state measures is significantly below the county median.
The Trenton district has recently made some changes that affect daily school life. It has implemented a Yondr Pouches program, a cell-phone-free policy in which student phones are locked in pouches during the school day, which is a notable shift in discipline and communication expectations for families. The district is also in the process of developing a new strategic plan, called the 3R’s Strategic Plan, with an open call for community input that began in 2026.
Housing in the area around the school is more affordable than the New Jersey statewide average, with typical home values below the state benchmark. Rental costs have been rising modestly. The school sits within a city that has its own mix of civic anchors, including the New Jersey State House, the Trenton War Memorial, the Mill Hill Historic District, and the Trenton Battle Monument. Several bridges connect the city to Morrisville, Pennsylvania, just across the Delaware River.
For a family, Cadwalader is a neighborhood elementary school serving the early grades only. The student body is relatively small, and the school’s demographics reflect the surrounding urban community. The academic results on state tests are low, and the school is among the weaker performers on proficiency measures within Mercer County. A parent may want to ask the school about its instructional strategies, intervention programs, and any plans for improvement that are part of the district’s emerging strategic plan. The cell-phone-free policy is a concrete feature of the school day that some families may see as a positive guardrail for younger children. Because the school stops at third grade, families will also need to plan ahead for where their child will attend grades four and beyond within or outside the district.
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