Memorial School, Union Beach NJ - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Memorial School

Memorial School is the single public school serving the small coastal borough of Union Beach, New Jersey, for students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. The school sits on Morningside Avenue in a primarily residential neighborhood of single-family homes, with views of Raritan Bay and the Manhattan skyline visible from the borough's restored waterfront. Union Beach is a bedroom community where most working adults commute to New York City or elsewhere, and the school functions as a civic anchor alongside the municipal building and the bayfront park.

The school enrolls a student body of several hundred children. The majority are white, with a substantial share of Hispanic students and smaller numbers of Asian, Black, and multiracial students. More than a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a middle- to lower-middle-income community that was hit hard by Hurricane Sandy more than a decade ago and has been slowly recovering. The district sends its high school students to Keyport High School in a neighboring borough through a sending-receiving arrangement, so Memorial School covers every grade the local district operates.

State test results present a mixed picture. In English language arts, performance is strongest in the early and middle grades. Third graders and sixth graders both show a high rate of proficiency, and seventh graders also do well. Fourth and fifth graders show more modest results, and eighth graders reach proficiency at a lower rate. In math, the pattern is more uneven. Third graders perform well, but fourth, fifth, and sixth graders show significantly lower proficiency. Seventh graders improve, though still below half. Eighth-grade math stands out as a sharp drop, with virtually no students reaching the proficient level. Science testing in fifth and eighth grades also yields low proficiency rates. Overall, when all tested subjects and grades are combined into a single index, Memorial School sits below the midpoint relative to other districts in Monmouth County. A parent may want to ask the school how it supports students in the upper grades, particularly in math and science, where the gaps are largest.

The district itself operates only this one school. No recent district-level changes, such as referendums or curriculum shifts, were publicly reported. The school does not offer high school programs, so there is no graduation rate to report. Data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, and staffing were not available in the materials reviewed.

Housing in Union Beach is moderately priced by Monmouth County standards, with the typical home valued at a figure that is below the county median but above the national average. The housing supply in the county has been active, and the borough has seen population decline over recent decades, partly due to the lingering effects of the storm. The area lacks a traditional walkable downtown; the school and municipal building serve as the main gathering points. NJ Transit bus service and commuter coaches connect residents to Manhattan, and the nearest train station is in Hazlet.

Families who choose Memorial School are likely looking for a small, neighborhood-oriented elementary and middle school in a quiet coastal setting. The academic data suggest that the school does well in English for many of its younger students but faces challenges in math and science, especially as students reach seventh and eighth grade. For high school, families will need to plan for the sending relationship with Keyport High School, which is a separate decision point. Union Beach itself is a community that has endured hardship and is rebuilding; the school is an integral part of that identity.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 373%

School 73% · District 73%

▲ 23 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 428%

School 28% · District 28%

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 27 pts below county median

Grade 530%

School 30% · District 30%

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

Grade 634%

School 34% · District 34%

even with state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Grade 745%

School 45% · District 45%

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 82%

School 2% · District 2%

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 28 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 377%

School 77% · District 77%

▲ 32 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

Grade 457%

School 57% · District 57%

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 543%

School 43% · District 43%

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Grade 675%

School 75% · District 75%

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 766%

School 66% · District 66%

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 838%

School 38% · District 38%

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 30 pts below county median

Science

Grade 519%

School 19% · District 19%

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 85%

School 5% · District 5%

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

This schoolUnion Beach 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-income75%Higher-income79%4 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income46%Higher-income67%21 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income40%Higher-income45%5 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income67%Higher-income84%17 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income66%Higher-income66%0 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income39%Higher-income37%2 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income69%Higher-income75%6 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income21%Higher-income33%13 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income25%Higher-income33%8 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income18%Higher-income52%34 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income46%Higher-income44%2 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income5%Higher-income0%5 pp gap