Battle Monument Intermediate School, Trenton NJ

Original Research by School Decision on Battle Monument Intermediate School

Battle Monument Intermediate School serves fourth through sixth graders in the Trenton Public School District, a regular public school in New Jersey’s capital city. It is neither a charter nor a magnet school. The student body draws from the dense urban neighborhoods of Trenton, a city where state government is the dominant employer and manufacturing has historically shaped the local economy. The school is located on Pennington Avenue, close to downtown and the civic core that includes the State House, city hall, and historic districts.

The student population is diverse, with a large share of Hispanic students and a substantial share of Black students, along with very small numbers of Asian, white, Native American, and multiracial students. A significant portion of families qualify for free or reduced-price meals, reflecting the high-poverty character of the community. Trenton itself has seen modest population growth in recent years, and the city has been actively promoting transit-oriented development around its three commuter rail lines.

State assessment results for the 2024-25 school year show that overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places the school in the bottom quartile relative to other districts in Mercer County. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or above was very low at every grade level. In English language arts, proficiency rates were similarly low across grades four, five, and six. Science test results for fifth grade were also low. These figures represent a clear area where parents would want to investigate further, as the school is far from the county median. No chronic absenteeism data was available to include in this picture, and since the school does not serve high school grades, no graduation rate applies.

The district has implemented a cell-phone-free school day through Yondr pouches, a program that locks student phones away during school hours, which directly affects the daily experience and family communication expectations. Additionally, the district is developing a new strategic plan, the 3R’s Strategic Plan, and has invited community input. These are the only district-level changes publicly reported; no information about course offerings, staffing levels, or discipline statistics was available for this school.

Housing in the neighborhood around the school is more affordable than the statewide typical home value, with rents climbing modestly in recent months. The national mortgage rate and unemployment context are standard for the period. For families considering this school, the academic performance data is the most salient point. The school serves a high-need population in an urban setting, and the test results suggest that many students are not yet meeting grade-level benchmarks. A parent moving to the area or choosing among options would want to ask the school directly about interventions, supports, and progress over time. The absence of program offerings or staffing data limits the ability to assess what academic or extracurricular pathways exist beyond the core curriculum.

Battle Monument Intermediate School is an urban intermediate school in the state capital, with a student body that is mostly Hispanic and Black and a high share of low-income households. Its academic proficiency is notably low compared to other Mercer County districts, and the school sits within a district that is actively working on strategic planning and has adopted a district-wide phone policy. The broader Trenton community is dense, government-centered, and served by multiple rail lines, with housing that is relatively accessible for the region. For a family weighing this school, the testing picture is the headline, and more detailed conversation with the school about academic support structures is warranted.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 46%

School 6% · District 5% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 39 pts below state median · ▼ 31 pts below county median

Grade 51%

School 1% · District 5% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 42 pts below state median · ▼ 33 pts below county median

Grade 62%

School 2% · District 3% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 31 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 46%

School 6% · District 9% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 50 pts below state median · ▼ 49 pts below county median

Grade 53%

School 3% · District 7% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 51 pts below state median · ▼ 43 pts below county median

Grade 65%

School 5% · District 9% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 49 pts below state median · ▼ 39 pts below county median

Science

Grade 52%

School 2% · District 3%

▼ 25 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

This schoolTrenton Public School District, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income5%Higher-income8%3 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income6%Higher-income5%0 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income3%Higher-income2%1 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income5%Higher-income5%1 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income5%Higher-income13%9 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income5%Higher-income10%5 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income2%Higher-income0%1 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income2%Higher-income2%0 pp gap