Washington Avenue School

Washington Avenue School is a public elementary school in Chatham, New Jersey, serving 292 students in kindergarten through third grade. Its composite score of 9.2/10 — rated Exceptional — places it among New Jersey's strongest early-education programs. The performance data is hard to argue with.

Washington Avenue ranks #45 out of 2,463 public schools statewide, outperforming 98% of New Jersey schools across all levels and types. Among the state's 1,496 elementary schools specifically, it ranks #26 — a top-2% finish that few schools can match. Academic performance scores 9.7/10, with growth right behind at 9.5/10.

High academic scores can be common at strong elementary schools; growth scores this strong, paired with academics at 9.7, are not. With an 11.2-to-1 student-teacher ratio and just 292 students spread across four grade levels, classrooms stay small enough for teachers to track individual students closely. That structure appears to directly support the growth outcomes: students here don't just arrive performing well — they keep advancing at a pace that holds up statewide.

For families comparing elementary options in Chatham or evaluating schools across New Jersey, Washington Avenue is one of the clearest data-driven choices in the state.