West End Memorial Elementary School, Woodbury NJ

Original Research by School Decision on West End Memorial Elementary School

West End Memorial Elementary School is a regular public school in Woodbury, New Jersey, serving children from preschool through fifth grade as part of the Woodbury City Public School District. The school enrolls a mid-sized student body for its grade band, drawing from the compact, historic city that serves as the Gloucester County seat.

The student population is notably diverse. Hispanic students make up the largest ethnic group, followed by Black students and White students, with smaller shares of students identifying as two or more races and Asian students. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of significant economic need that schools with such a concentration typically address through federally funded programs and community partnerships.

On the New Jersey Student Learning Assessment for the 2024-25 school year, academic results vary by grade and subject. In mathematics, around half of fourth graders scored at the proficient level or above, while the share of students reaching that bar was considerably smaller in third grade and notably low in fifth grade. English language arts results follow a similar pattern: fourth graders performed strongest, with roughly half meeting proficiency, while third and fifth grades saw lower success rates, and fifth-grade proficiency fell to a small share of students. In science, the proportion of fifth graders who tested proficient was very small. When the school’s combined performance across all tested subjects and grades is compared with that of other districts in Gloucester County, it falls in the bottom quarter. This pattern indicates that academic achievement is an area where many students face challenges, and a parent may want to discuss with the school what supports and interventions are in place, such as targeted tutoring, co-teaching models, or after-school programs.

Several pieces of information that families often consider are absent from available data. There is no reported information on chronic absenteeism, discipline rates, or staff qualifications such as years of experience or advanced degrees. The school does not appear to operate under any special designation like magnet or charter status, and no program offerings such as gifted services or enrichment programs were found. These are gaps a prospective parent would want to fill by speaking directly with school leadership.

Woodbury itself is a small, dense city with a historic commercial corridor along Broad Street. The city’s built environment is compact and walkable in the core, with the county courthouse and other civic institutions located downtown. Inspira Health Network, a major regional healthcare employer, is headquartered in the city. Woodbury’s population has been slowly declining over recent census counts, and property taxes are among the highest in New Jersey, a factor that may influence housing decisions for families considering moving into the district. Housing values in the area are moderate relative to state norms, and the rental market reflects a similar mid-range position. No major new housing developments were identified in available information, and the district itself reported no recent changes of lasting impact to families.

West End Memorial Elementary serves a diverse, high-need student body in a compact city setting. Its state test results, when considered against other districts in the county, point to an academic environment where many students are not yet meeting grade-level standards. Families weighing this school would benefit from a close look at the specific supports the school offers and from conversations with current parents and staff to understand the daily experience beyond what the reported metrics show.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 332%

School 32% · District 33% · ▼ 1 pts below district

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

Grade 455%

School 55% · District 44% · ▲ 10 pts above district

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

Grade 513%

School 13% · District 29% · ▼ 16 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 322%

School 22% · District 19% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 23 pts below county median

Grade 447%

School 47% · District 44% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 513%

School 13% · District 25% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 41 pts below state median · ▼ 40 pts below county median

Science

Grade 56%

School 6% · District 13% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

This schoolWoodbury City 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-income10%Higher-income40%30 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income45%Higher-income50%5 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income9%Higher-income20%11 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income23%Higher-income45%22 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income50%Higher-income61%11 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income9%Higher-income20%11 pp gap