Woodbine Elementary School, Woodbine NJ

Original Research by School Decision on Woodbine Elementary School

Woodbine Elementary School is the sole school in the Woodbine School District, serving students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade in a single building on Webster Street. The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and it operates within a small, rural borough that has seen its population decline over recent decades. Woodbine itself is a quiet, multi-ethnic community with a distinctive history as an agricultural settlement for Eastern European Jewish immigrants, and its economy is anchored by a state-run developmental center, a municipal airport, and a county landfill rather than by commercial or retail development. For a family considering this school, the setting is decidedly rural and low-density, with a modest grid of streets at its residential core and a sense of separation from the more commercially developed parts of Cape May County.

The school enrolls a student body that is diverse by race and ethnicity. Hispanic students make up the largest share, followed by white students, Black students, and students who identify as two or more races. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a population with significant economic need. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the provided records.

Academically, state testing results from the New Jersey Student Learning Assessments show a pattern that parents will want to examine closely. Proficiency rates in math across grades three through eight were low, with the strongest single grade reaching roughly a third of students scoring at proficient or advanced levels, and several grades showing rates well below that. In English language arts, the picture was somewhat stronger, with the upper elementary and middle school grades reaching higher proficiency rates than the early elementary grades, though still below state averages. Science results at fifth and eighth grade were low. Compared to other districts in Cape May County, the school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades placed it in the bottom quartile. Because the school serves only through eighth grade, there is no high school graduation data; students in Woodbine attend Middle Township High School for ninth through twelfth grades through a sending-receiving arrangement.

The school’s enrollment is relatively small for a PK-through-8 building, with class sizes that vary by grade. The preschool program enrolls a sizable number of children, and the upper grades each have modest class sizes. Housing values in the area are well below the state median, with a typical home value that is closer to the national figure than to New Jersey’s pricier markets, and the borough has long had the lowest property tax bills in Cape May County. For a family moving to the area, home prices are more accessible than in many parts of the state, and the community’s quiet, rural character is a defining feature.

The district brief did not identify any major recent changes to the school’s operations, programs, or leadership within the last four years. The absence of such reporting suggests stability in the district’s basic structure, though it also means there is no publicly detailed information about recent initiatives or improvements to point to. A parent looking for a more complete picture of the school’s current direction may want to reach out to the district or school directly.

For a family weighing this school, the peer environment is diverse and economically disadvantaged. The academic pathway is grounded in the elementary and middle school years, after which students leave the borough for high school. The affordable housing market, low taxes, and small-town setting are clear draws for those who value those qualities, while the academic performance data and the need to transition to a different high school are practical considerations that merit discussion with the school and district staff.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 333%

School 33% · District 33%

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

Grade 40%

School 0% · District 0%

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

Grade 56%

School 6% · District 6%

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

Grade 622%

School 22% · District 22%

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

Grade 716%

School 16% · District 16%

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

Grade 811%

School 11% · District 11%

▼ 6 pts below state median

English language arts

Grade 319%

School 19% · District 19%

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

Grade 420%

School 20% · District 20%

▼ 35 pts below state median · ▼ 35 pts below county median

Grade 524%

School 24% · District 24%

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

Grade 639%

School 39% · District 39%

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Grade 736%

School 36% · District 36%

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 837%

School 37% · District 37%

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Science

Grade 50%

School 0% · District 0%

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

Grade 85%

School 5% · District 5%

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

This schoolWoodbine 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.