Emerson Community School

Summary:

Emerson Community School is an elementary school in Plainfield Public School District, serving students from kindergarten to 5th grade. The school has consistently ranked in the bottom quarter of New Jersey elementary schools, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger for the past several years.

Emerson Community School's academic performance is significantly below the state and district averages. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics were around 30% for 3rd and 4th grades, and only 45% for 5th grade English Language Arts, compared to the state averages of 43.6%, 50.8%, and 52.3%, respectively. The school's performance in 5th grade Science was also very low at 9.1%, compared to the state average of 27.5%. Additionally, Emerson Community School has consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 16.6% to 28.7% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state average.

In contrast, the nearby schools in the Scotch Plains-Fanwood School District, such as Bayberry School, William J. McGinn Elementary, School One Elementary, and J. Ackerman Coles Elementary, have significantly higher academic performance, lower chronic absenteeism, and much lower percentages of low-income students. These schools consistently rank in the top half or top quarter of New Jersey elementary schools.


Detail:

Public K-5

 305 Emerson Ave
       Plainfield, NJ  07062-1701


(908) 731-4205

District: Plainfield Public School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
1054th of 1,338 New Jersey Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $9,801 Help


Students who attend Emerson Community School usually attend:

Middle:    Maxson Middle School
High:    Plainfield Academy For The Arts & Advanced Studies
    Plainfield High School

Student/teacher ratio:  12.4 Help
Number of students:  424

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
70.5%
African American:
27.4%
White:
1.4%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  74.5% Help


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 Compare Emerson Community School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Emerson Community School ranks worse than 78.8% of elementary schools in New Jersey. It also ranks 2nd among 9 ranked elementary schools in the Plainfield Public School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 21.48. (See more...)
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (70.5%), African American (27.4%), White (1.4%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 74.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Emerson Community School is 12.4. 4 elementary schools in the Plainfield Public School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Emerson Community School employs 34 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Emerson Community School is $9,801. 5 elementary schools in the Plainfield Public School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Emerson Community School:

SchoolDigger ranks Emerson Community School 1054th of 1338 New Jersey public elementary schools. (See Emerson Community School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:


Plainfield Public School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Plainfield Public School District 569th of 613 New Jersey school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Emerson Community School

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Rank History for all students at Emerson Community School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 7.39 1082nd 1204 10.1%
2004 8.36 1191st 1298 8.2%
2005 2.81 1261st 1303 3.2%
2006 6.68 1216th 1314 7.5%
2007 7.94 1230th 1329 7.4%
2008 5.21 1274th 1338 4.8%
2009 9.52 1232nd 1346 8.5%
2010 8.47 1254th 1354 7.4%
2011 11.26 1235th 1360 9.2%
2012 17.92 1163rd 1363 14.7%
2013 19.32 1151st 1367 15.8%
2014 24.88 1105th 1363 18.9%
2015 19.78 1117th 1357 17.7%
2016 15.78 1156th 1346 14.1%
2017 15.86 1148th 1352 15.1%
2018 20.13 1117th 1353 17.4%
2019 21.84 1102nd 1360 19.0%
2022 17.65 1109th 1345 17.5%
2023 19.25 1101st 1342 18.0%
2024 21.48 1054th 1338 21.2%
See the entire list of New Jersey Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Emerson Community School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 62.45 127th 434 70.7%
2019 66.59 125th 463 73.0%
2022 41.33 237th 489 51.5%
2023 31.81 339th 499 32.1%
2024 38.43 314th 559 43.8%
See the entire list of Best New Jersey Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Emerson Community School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 27.83 674th 1001 32.7%
2019 24.09 742nd 1007 26.3%
2022 14.71 876th 949 7.7%
2023 33.88 566th 958 40.9%
2024 41.33 497th 989 49.7%
See the entire list of Best New Jersey Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Emerson Community School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 41.77 585th 942 37.9%
2019 44.93 484th 948 48.9%
2022 36.05 533rd 863 38.2%
2023 34.99 586th 910 35.6%
2024 47.24 439th 939 53.2%
See the entire list of Best New Jersey Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Emerson Community School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 26.22 1023rd 1333 23.3%
2019 27.00 1010th 1331 24.1%
2022 23.84 996th 1326 24.9%
2023 24.33 984th 1318 25.3%
2024 24.84 960th 1317 27.1%
See the entire list of Best New Jersey Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Emerson Community School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 17.89 1117th 1334 16.3%
2019 21.01 1067th 1335 20.1%
2022 13.36 1161st 1324 12.3%
2023 16.76 1089th 1315 17.2%
2024 20.91 1025th 1313 21.9%
See the entire list of Best New Jersey Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Emerson Community School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 31.30 354th 517 31.5%
2019 37.55 346th 522 33.7%
2022 49.21 237th 494 52.0%
2023 59.98 163rd 463 64.8%
2024 62.90 137th 469 70.8%
See the entire list of Best New Jersey Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Emerson Community School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 48.77 413th 870 52.5%
2019 64.86 258th 899 71.3%
2022 32.35 635th 953 33.4%
2023 31.61 663rd 982 32.5%
2024 36.08 625th 989 36.8%
See the entire list of Best New Jersey Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: New Jersey Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Emerson Community School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: New Jersey Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Emerson Community School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 17 473 12 107 0 n/a n/a 0 609
1989 14 464 9 121 0 n/a n/a 0 608
1990 9 495 7 136 0 n/a n/a 0 647
1991 5 477 8 160 0 n/a n/a 0 650
1992 8 480 5 140 0 n/a n/a 0 633
1993 3 483 5 129 0 n/a n/a 0 620
1994 5 503 4 105 0 n/a n/a 0 617
1995 4 527 4 166 0 n/a n/a 0 701
1996 4 527 4 166 0 n/a n/a 0 701
1998 4 455 9 147 0 n/a n/a 0 615
1999 3 356 7 131 0 n/a n/a 0 497
2000 5 416 10 136 1 n/a n/a 0 568
2001 2 412 3 178 0 n/a n/a 0 595
2002 3 408 3 200 0 n/a n/a 0 614
2003 3 408 3 200 0 n/a n/a 0 614
2004 7 385 0 199 0 n/a n/a 0 591
2005 0 367 0 124 0 n/a n/a 0 491
2006 1 284 5 121 0 n/a n/a 0 411
2007 0 245 6 122 0 n/a n/a 0 373
2008 1 246 5 148 0 n/a n/a 0 400
2009 7 245 5 164 0 1 1 0 423
2010 1 258 4 201 0 2 3 0 469
2011 1 259 2 219 0 1 1 0 483
2012 3 234 3 233 0 0 1 0 474
2013 4 254 2 208 0 0 1 0 469
2014 3 252 1 230 1 1 3 0 491
2015 4 236 0 253 1 0 1 0 495
2016 0 235 0 266 1 0 2 0 504
2017 2 215 0 241 1 1 2 0 462
2018 4 200 0 262 1 1 3 0 471
2019 7 178 2 266 1 1 4 0 459
2020 6 185 2 292 2 4 2 0 493
2021 5 190 2 285 3 4 2 0 491
2022 2 158 1 299 1 2 1 0 464
2023 6 138 1 360 1 2 1 0 509
2024 6 116 1 299 0 1 1 0 424

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Emerson Community School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 609 29.0 21.0 n/a
1989 608 37.0 16.4 n/a
1990 647 40.0 16.1 43.3
1991 650 37.0 17.5 48.2
1992 633 36.0 17.5 62.6
1993 620 41.4 15.0 66.3
1994 617 39.8 15.5 66.3
1995 701 44.0 15.9 76.6
1996 701 44.0 15.9 76.6
1998 615 42.0 14.6 69.3
1999 497 37.0 13.4 68.4
2000 568 39.0 14.6 71.5
2001 595 39.3 15.1 81
2002 614 54.0 11.4 85.5
2003 614 54.0 11.4 85.5
2004 591 51.0 11.6 82.2
2005 491 44.0 11.2 n/a
2006 411 40.0 10.3 81
2007 373 35.0 10.7 75.6
2008 400 33.0 12.1 80.8
2009 423 37.3 9.8 76.1
2010 469 34.0 13.7 81.2
2011 483 29.0 16.6 77
2012 474 31.3 15.1 82.9
2013 469 32.0 14.6 81.9
2014 491 32.0 15.3 89
2015 495 33.0 15.0 85.5
2016 504 36.0 14.0 79
2017 462 35.5 13.0 82.9
2018 471 36.5 12.9 80.7
2019 459 40.0 11.4 88.5
2020 493 39.3 12.5 86
2021 491 35.0 14.0 72.9
2022 464 37.0 12.5 81.5
2023 509 35.0 14.5 79
2024 424 34.0 12.4 74.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Emerson Community School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 609 29.0 21.0 n/a
1989 608 37.0 16.4 n/a
1990 647 40.0 16.1 43.3
1991 650 37.0 17.5 48.2
1992 633 36.0 17.5 62.6
1993 620 41.4 15.0 66.3
1994 617 39.8 15.5 66.3
1995 701 44.0 15.9 76.6
1996 701 44.0 15.9 76.6
1998 615 42.0 14.6 69.3
1999 497 37.0 13.4 68.4
2000 568 39.0 14.6 71.5
2001 595 39.3 15.1 81
2002 614 54.0 11.4 85.5
2003 614 54.0 11.4 85.5
2004 591 51.0 11.6 82.2
2005 491 44.0 11.2 n/a
2006 411 40.0 10.3 81
2007 373 35.0 10.7 75.6
2008 400 33.0 12.1 80.8
2009 423 37.3 9.8 76.1
2010 469 34.0 13.7 81.2
2011 483 29.0 16.6 77
2012 474 31.3 15.1 82.9
2013 469 32.0 14.6 81.9
2014 491 32.0 15.3 89
2015 495 33.0 15.0 85.5
2016 504 36.0 14.0 79
2017 462 35.5 13.0 82.9
2018 471 36.5 12.9 80.7
2019 459 40.0 11.4 88.5
2020 493 39.3 12.5 86
2021 491 35.0 14.0 72.9
2022 464 37.0 12.5 81.5
2023 509 35.0 14.5 79
2024 424 34.0 12.4 74.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Emerson Community School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $208 (2.1%) $9,593 (97.9%) $9,801

Data source: New Jersey Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Emerson Community School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 1102nd of 1360 Elementary schoolsRanks 1101st of 1342 Elementary schools
 1%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Emerson Community School)43.633.4
 10.2%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Plainfield Public School District)21.417.4
 4%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (New Jersey)50.242
 8.2%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Emerson Community School)53.536.9
 16.6%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Plainfield Public School District)26.322.2
 4.1%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (New Jersey)55.145.9
 9.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Emerson Community School)38.535.9
 2.6%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Plainfield Public School District)25.720.1
 5.6%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (New Jersey)57.451.3
 6.1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Emerson Community School)24.120.5
 3.6%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Plainfield Public School District)18.619.4
 0.8%
   4th Grade Mathematics (New Jersey)5144.3
 6.7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Emerson Community School)29.524.4
 5.1%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Plainfield Public School District)25.219.7
 5.5%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (New Jersey)57.953.2
 4.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Emerson Community School)1811.7
 6.3%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Plainfield Public School District)17.111.8
 5.3%
   5th Grade Mathematics (New Jersey)46.840.1
 6.7%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students459509
 10.9%
African American178138
 22.5%
American Indian11
Asian21
 50%
Hispanic266360
 35.3%
Pacific Islander12
 100%
White76
 14.3%
Two or More Races41
 75%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients88.5%79%
 9.5%


Schools Near Emerson Community School









Frequently Asked Questions about Emerson Community School

Emerson Community School ranks in the bottom 21.2% of New Jersey elementary schools.

Students at Emerson Community School are 71% Hispanic, 27% African American, 1% White.

In the 2023-24 school year, 424 students attended Emerson Community School.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the New Jersey Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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