Upper Township Elementary School, Marmora NJ

Original Research by School Decision on Upper Township Elementary School

Upper Township Elementary School is a regular public school serving third through fifth grade in Marmora, an unincorporated community within Upper Township in Cape May County. It is not a beachfront town; Marmora sits just inland, offering a quieter, suburban residential setting with proximity to Ocean City beaches and boardwalk amenities. The area is car-dependent, with no traditional downtown, and everyday shopping lines Route 9. Housing values here fall below the statewide median but remain above the national figure, and the community tends to attract year-round families, retirees, and commuters who want shore access without the summer density. The school itself is one of several district buildings spread across Upper Township; high school students attend Ocean City High School through a sending-receiving relationship in a neighboring municipality, a structure families moving into the area will want to understand.

The student body is predominantly white, with small shares of Hispanic, Black, Asian, and multiracial students. The share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch is low, indicating that economic disadvantage is modest. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not reported, which means a parent looking to understand special education supports or language services should follow up directly with the school.

Academically, Upper Township Elementary performs well when measured against other districts in Cape May County. The school’s overall proficiency index across tested subjects and grades places it in the top quarter of that countywide comparison. Performance by grade and subject tells a more detailed story. In English language arts, fourth and fifth graders show strong results, with the share of students meeting or exceeding the state standard reaching roughly two-thirds; third-grade ELA proficiency is lower. In math, proficiency is strongest in fourth grade, while third and fifth grade math results are more moderate. Fifth-grade science proficiency is the weakest area, with fewer than half of students scoring at proficient levels.

Because the school serves only the intermediate elementary years, there is no graduation rate to report, and chronic absenteeism data was not available. The absence of trend data from prior years means it is not possible to say whether these results represent an improvement or a decline.

For a family evaluating this school, the picture is one of a stable, low-poverty, predominantly white elementary environment in a residential inland shore community. Academic performance is a relative strength within the county, particularly in upper-grade English language arts. The moderate math and weaker science results, along with the unreported special-population data, are points a parent may want to explore in conversation with the school administration. The broader district context includes the sending-receiving high school arrangement, which shapes the overall educational pathway through twelfth grade.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 359%

School 59% · District 59%

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Grade 465%

School 65% · District 65%

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 22 pts above county median

Grade 553%

School 53% · District 53%

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 346%

School 46% · District 46%

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

Grade 468%

School 68% · District 68%

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 569%

School 69% · District 69%

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

Science

Grade 539%

School 39% · District 39%

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

This schoolUpper Township 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-income21%Higher-income50%30 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income43%Higher-income74%31 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income42%Higher-income72%30 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income25%Higher-income65%40 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income36%Higher-income72%36 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income21%Higher-income58%36 pp gap