Nelson Mandela Elementary School

Nelson Mandela Elementary School, an intimate elementary-level community in Newark, New Jersey, part of Newark Public School District, hosts 256 students, covering grades pre-K through 4. By comparison, New Jersey's public schools average about 405 students each, so Nelson Mandela Elementary School sits 37% below that benchmark.

Within Newark Public School District, which oversees 65 schools and 41,502 students, Nelson Mandela Elementary School is one campus in the system.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Nelson Mandela Elementary School records that Hispanic students make up the majority at 71%. Other groups include 28% Black. The wider county runs roughly 25% Hispanic, putting the school's mix considerably more Hispanic than the area baseline.

Looking at the economic backdrop, Nelson Mandela Elementary School records 12 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 21.3:1. The state averages around 11.4:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. About 87% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. By comparison, Essex County runs at roughly 54%, so the school's eligibility rate is meaningfully above the surrounding baseline.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Nelson Mandela Elementary School sits in the top 10% of New Jersey schools after the BeatsExpectations adjustment. Predicted proficiency for the school's FRL share is roughly 18.5%; actual is 35.6%, +17.1 points clear of the demographic baseline.

In the surrounding community, community-level numbers for Essex County indicate median household income runs about $80,789, 39% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 11%. Nelson Mandela Elementary School is one of 249 public schools in Essex County (combined enrollment of about 145,473 students).

The closest other public school is Philip's Academy Charter School, roughly 0.1 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. On composite proficiency, Nelson Mandela Elementary School comes 4th of 9 in the immediate cluster, above the nearby-schools average of 30.4%.

The school occupies an inner-city site.

In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. Members of the school community can share what they know.