The top reported proficiency rate is 25% in Math. The lowest is 6% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Gershom Mott Elementary School
Gershom Mott Elementary School serves kindergarten through third grade in Trenton, New Jersey's capital city, as part of the Trenton Public School District. The school sits in a dense urban setting where state government dominates the local economy, and the city's historic manufacturing identity still marks the landscape. The neighborhood around the school on Stokely Avenue is part of Trenton's residential fabric, a city of tight blocks and row houses where three commuter rail systems converge and multiple bridges cross the Delaware River into Pennsylvania.
Mott is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. Its enrollment draws a student body that is overwhelmingly Hispanic, with a much smaller share of Black students and a very small number of White students and students of two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the supports offered in those areas.
Academically, the school's state test results place it in a challenging position. On the NJSLA assessments for third grade, the most recent testing year shows proficiency rates that are well below the midpoint among districts in Mercer County. In math, roughly a quarter of third graders scored proficient or above. In English language arts, that figure was lower. The school's overall proficiency index across tested subjects lands in the bottom quartile when compared with other districts in the same county. Older science testing data from fifth grade, which is no longer a tested grade at this school, also showed very low proficiency, though that result is several years old and does not reflect the current student cohort. The school serves only through third grade, so it has no graduation rate to report, and chronic absenteeism data was not available for this analysis.
For families considering this school, the academic picture is clear: most students are not yet meeting grade-level benchmarks in math and reading. This pattern is consistent with broader challenges in the Trenton district, which serves a high-poverty urban population. The school's grade span means students will move to another elementary school after third grade, so the academic foundation built here matters for the long trajectory. A parent may want to investigate what interventions and support programs are in place for students who are below grade level, as well as what the transition to a new school looks like.
The district has recently made some significant changes that directly affect daily life at Mott. A district-wide Yondr Pouches program locks student phones in pouches during the school day, a policy that reshapes the school environment around cell-phone-free learning. The district is also developing a new strategic plan, called the 3R's Strategic Plan, with an open community participation process underway as of mid-2026. These efforts signal an administration actively working on discipline approaches and long-range planning, but their effect on classroom outcomes at Mott will take time to measure.
Trenton itself is a city with deep civic anchors: the State House, the Trenton War Memorial, the Battle Monument, and Washington Crossing State Park just north of the city. Housing in the area around Mott is notably more affordable than the state average, with home values and rents both below New Jersey norms, which is a factor some families weigh when choosing a school within the district. The school's early-grades-only structure means a parent should also think ahead about the feeder pattern and what schools their child will attend after third grade, as the educational pathway is not contained within a single building from kindergarten through fifth or eighth grade.
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