Edward T. Bowser Sr. School of Excellence

Edward T. Bowser Sr. School of Excellence is one of the substantial primary schools in EAST ORANGE, New Jersey, run under East Orange School District, with 612 students on its rolls from grades pre-K through 5. That puts it 51% above the typical public school in New Jersey, which averages around 405 students.

East Orange School District comprises 19 schools with combined enrollment of 8,348 students; Edward T. Bowser Sr. School of Excellence is among them.

On the student-mix side, Edward T. Bowser Sr. School of Excellence reports that the largest single group is Hispanic at 46%, but no single group is in the majority. The remainder looks like 41% Black, 12% White. By comparison, Essex County as a whole is about 25% Hispanic, so the school skews meaningfully more Hispanic than its surroundings.

On the resource side, On paper, Edward T. Bowser Sr. School of Excellence has 37 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 16.8:1. The state averages around 11.4:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical.

Zooming out to the county, Essex County reports that median household income runs about $80,789, 39% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 11%. Edward T. Bowser Sr. School of Excellence is one of 249 public schools in Essex County (combined enrollment of about 145,473 students).

The closest other public school is John L. Costley Middle School, roughly 0.1 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools.

The campus sits in a bedroom-community setting.

Five-year trend. Edward T. Bowser Sr. School of Excellence's enrollment has showed little movement since 2018, when it stood at 609 (now 612). Over the same period, the Black share declined from 72% to 41%. The student-to-teacher ratio rose from 12.7:1 in 2018 to 16.8:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.