Rumson's Forrestdale School In State Top 10: Media Outlet Reports

RUMSON, NJ — Forrestdale School in Rumson found a place in the top 10 of new education rankings from U.S. News & World Report for New Jersey's best K-8 schools - the only Monmouth County school on the list.

The news outlet based its 2024 Best Elementary and Middle School rankings on publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Education, focusing on student proficiency in core subject areas, it notes.

Forrestdale School, 60 Forrest Ave., ranked No. 7 in New Jersey Elementary Schools and ranked No. 3 in New Jersey Middle Schools, according to the report.

Schools are ranked on their performance on state-required tests, graduation, and how well they prepare their students for high school.

In New Jersey, the top 10 public elementary schools are:

1. Lincoln-Hubbard Elementary School, Summit Public Schools
2. Glenwood School, Millburn Township Schools
3. Princeton Charter School
4. Clara E Coleman School, Glen Rock Public Schools
5. Cornelia F. Bradford School, Jersey City Public Schools
6. South Mountain School, Millburn Township Schools
7. Forrestdale School, Rumson Borough Schools
8. Wyoming School, Millburn Township Schools
9. Deerfield School, Millburn Township Schools
10. Mount Prospect Elementary School, Bernards Township Schools

The top 10 public middle schools in New Jersey are:

1. Princeton Charter School
2. School 28, Paterson Public Schools
3. Forrestdale School, Rumson Borough Schools
4. Infinity Institute, Jersey City Public Schools
5. Millburn Middle School, Millburn Township Schools
6. Thomas Edison Energysmart Charter School, Somerset
7. Mendham Township Middle School, Mendham Township Schools
8. Roosevelt Intermediate School, Westfield Public Schools
9. Cresskill Middle School, Cresskill Public Schools
10. Emil A. Cavallini Middle School, Upper Saddle River Schools

The student population of Forrestdale School is 551 and the school serves grades 4-8, the report said. At Forrestdale School, 74 percent of students scored at or above the proficient level for math, and 77 percent scored at or above that level for reading. Student/teacher ratio is 10:1. You can see more details here.

Deane-Porter School is the other elementary school in the district and serves grades PK-3. It was ranked No. 58 in that category in the same report.

The U.S. News list includes data on more than 79,000 public elementary and middle schools nationwide, according to a Patch article.

In the analysis, U.S. News looked closely at state assessment of students who were proficient or above-proficient in mathematics and reading/language arts, while also accounting for student backgrounds, achievement in core subjects, and how well schools are educating their students. Student-teacher ratios are applied to break ties in the overall score.

LaMont Jones, managing editor for education at U.S. News, said the state and district-level rankings are intended to give parents a snapshot of their child’s school and how well it’s doing within its community.

“Easily accessible data on student-teacher ratio, district spending, and the number of school counselors available at the school can keep parents informed and involved,” Jones said.

Patch Editor Michelle Rotuno-Johnson contributed to this report.