Robert Mascenik Elementary School, Iselin NJ

Original Research by School Decision on Robert Mascenik Elementary School

Robert Mascenik Elementary School, often referred to as School #26, serves kindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public school within the Woodbridge Township School District. It is one of several elementary schools distributed across Iselin, an unincorporated community known for its dense South Asian commercial corridor along Oak Tree Road and the corporate office parks of the Metropark district. The school sits in a mixed residential neighborhood of modest single-family homes and apartments, reflecting the surrounding community's diversity.

The school's academic profile from recent state testing shows a split between mathematics and English language arts. Math proficiency rates are moderately strong across the grades tested, while ELA results are somewhat lower. Science results for fifth graders also trail the math outcomes. When compared with other districts across Middlesex County, the school's overall proficiency places it above the midpoint, a position that suggests consistent instruction rather than outlier performance. A parent looking at these results may want to ask the school how it supports literacy, particularly in the earlier grades where the ELA outcomes are noticeably softer than math.

The student body is particularly diverse. The largest racial group is Asian, representing a substantial share of enrollment, followed by White and Hispanic students, with smaller numbers of Black students and students identifying as two or more races. This composition aligns with Iselin's broader demographic character, which has been shaped by sustained immigration from South Asia over the past several decades. About a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a measure that places the school in a moderate range for economic need, not high-poverty but not affluent either. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the reporting, so a family with a child in either category would want to follow up directly with the school to understand the services and staffing in place.

Several key dimensions of school environment are not captured in the available data. There is no reported information on discipline rates, chronic absenteeism, class sizes, teacher experience, or course access. Because Robert Mascenik is an elementary school serving only through fifth grade, there is no graduation rate to report, and many of the program offerings common in middle and high schools, such as advanced placement or career pathways, simply do not apply here. For an elementary school this is not unusual, but it means a parent's full picture will depend on a visit and conversation with the principal about the school's approach to instruction, enrichment, and student support.

The housing market in Iselin and the broader Woodbridge area has seen home values appreciate at a moderate pace, and the rental market is similarly firm. The area is well served by transit, with the Metropark station providing commuter rail and Amtrak access. The district itself did not have any recent major changes reported in publicly available sources, so the school's operations appear to be on a stable, continuous footing.

Robert Mascenik Elementary fits a family looking for a diverse, community-anchored elementary school within a larger district that has a solid academic record relative to its county peers. The math outcomes are a clear strength, and the school's position above the county midpoint is a practical reassurance. Families who prioritize early literacy support or who want detailed information on special education and English learner services will need to do some legwork. The surrounding neighborhood offers a culturally vibrant commercial core, strong transit connections, and a housing market that, while not cheap, is more accessible than the most expensive parts of northern New Jersey.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 362%

School 62% · District 49% · ▲ 13 pts above district

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

Grade 452%

School 52% · District 43% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 556%

School 56% · District 41% · ▲ 15 pts above district

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 346%

School 46% · District 42% · ▲ 5 pts above district

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

Grade 452%

School 52% · District 51% · ▲ 2 pts above district

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

Grade 551%

School 51% · District 44% · ▲ 7 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 540%

School 40% · District 30% · ▲ 10 pts above district

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

This schoolWoodbridge 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-income27%Higher-income51%24 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income40%Higher-income56%16 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income20%Higher-income61%41 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income58%Higher-income63%5 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income20%Higher-income63%43 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income30%Higher-income64%34 pp gap