Newton Public School District

The Newton Public School District in New Jersey operates three schools: Newton High School, Merriam Avenue School, and Halsted Middle School. These schools serve students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade and provide a range of educational opportunities in the Newton area.

Halsted Middle School stands out for its exceptional performance on NJSLA Algebra I assessments, with 71.4% of 8th graders scoring proficient or better, significantly higher than the district and state averages. The school also has a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 8.7, which may contribute to its academic success. In contrast, Newton High School excels in other areas, such as its high graduation rate of 91.1% and low dropout rate of 1.2%, as well as its strong performance on NJSLA English Language Arts assessments for 9th grade, where 46.2% of students scored proficient or better.

While the schools in the Newton Public School District demonstrate varying levels of academic performance, they also face common challenges, such as high chronic absenteeism rates ranging from 16.6% to 16.6%. Additionally, the schools serve student populations with diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, as evidenced by the free and reduced-price lunch rates, which range from 12.24% at Newton High School to 39.08% at Merriam Avenue School. These factors may contribute to the observed differences in academic performance across the district.