Robert L. Horbelt Elementary School

Robert L. Horbelt Elementary School is a mid-tier middle-grades school in BARNEGAT, New Jersey, operated by Barnegat Township School District. The school instructs 499 students in grades 5 through 6.

Across the 6 schools in Barnegat Township School District (3,604 students total), Robert L. Horbelt Elementary School accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Demographically, Robert L. Horbelt Elementary School reports that 64% of the student body identifies as White. Beyond that, the school shows 21% Hispanic, 8% Black, 5% multiracial. That is meaningfully less White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 83%.

Looking at school resources, On paper, Robert L. Horbelt Elementary School has 40 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 12.6:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 10.9:1, putting Robert L. Horbelt Elementary School higher than the state norm the norm. Around 47% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Robert L. Horbelt Elementary School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 40.3%; this one delivers 37.1%.

In the surrounding community, community-level numbers for Ocean County indicate median household earnings sit near $89,863, roughly 34% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate sits near 7%. Across Ocean County's 117 public schools (combined enrollment of about 66,051 students), Robert L. Horbelt Elementary School is one campus in the mix.

Russell O. Brackman Middle School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.2 miles from this campus. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Among the 5 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Robert L. Horbelt Elementary School ranks 3rd on composite proficiency, behind the local average of 37.6%.

The campus sits in a commuter-belt setting.

Trend over the last 7 years. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Robert L. Horbelt Elementary School has climbed 19%, going from 419 students in 2018 to 499 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share shrank from 75% to 64%. Class-load math has pulled in: from 14.2:1 in 2018 to 12.6:1 in 2025.

Inside the community feed, members of the Robert L. Horbelt Elementary School community share and discuss sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.