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Average

#1919 of 2,466 schools in NJ

Washington Community School

Elementary School · Plainfield Public School District · Plainfield, NJ

A Plainfield Public School District elementary school serving grades Pre-K – 5th.

427 DARROW AVE, Plainfield, NJ 07060

  • Math 19% vs NJ 47% (2025)
  • Reading 17% vs NJ 50% (2025)
  • 13.8:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress6.8Average50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data14
Annual Change+1.57 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendImproving
Academics4.0Below Average30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency18.6% (2025 NJSLA)
Reading/ELA Proficiency16.8% (2025 NJSLA)
Math vs. State Avg-29.3 pts
Reading vs. State Avg-27.1 pts
Overall Proficiency18% (2025 NJSLA, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)20% (model expectation from 2025 NJSLA)
vs. Expected-2.8 pts
Adjusted Percentile21th
Resources & Environment3.0Needs Improvement20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio13.8:1
District spending per student$25,788
Chronic Absenteeism27%

Students at Washington Community School score 18% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 20%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 NJSLA proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. NJ average.

Math Proficiency19%(2025 NJSLA)
School
State
47%(2025 NJSLA)
ELA Proficiency17%(2025 NJSLA)
School
State
50%(2025 NJSLA)

Trend

→ Steady

Proficiency is down 18 points across the 17-year record (2009–2025) and has held near 18% recently.

Show all 14 years
2009
Math
46%
ELA
26%
2010
Math
45%
ELA
25%
2011
Math
49%
ELA
23%
2012
Math
57%
ELA
27%
2013
Math
62%
ELA
32%
2014
Math
26%
ELA
22%
2015
Math
29%
ELA
15%
2016
Math
25%
ELA
20%
2017
Math
25%
ELA
20%
2018
Math
24%
ELA
19%
2019
Math
24%
ELA
19%
2022
Math
15%
ELA
10%
2024
Math
21%
ELA
11%
2025
Math
19%
ELA
17%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 30% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 19% (multi-year average, 2009-2025)

Based on 37 test records from NJ state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

84.4%

Students qualifying for federal meal assistance

How we rate schools

A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.

See how we rate

The neighborhood

Where Washington Community School sits, and what the surrounding area looks like.

Nearby same-level schools are colored by their score. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Open the New York map →

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 48Car-Dependent
  • Transit 42Some Transit
  • Bike 52Bikeable
  • City Safety: High2,022/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Plainfield), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2024. Freshness not available.

Area profileU.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

Median income

$72,882

Median home value

$369,400

Median rent

$1,629/mo

College educated

21.9%

Homeownership

37.9%

Poverty rate

17.8%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 07060; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Compare nearby

Nearby same-level schools

4 from a 5-mile search; district fallback available

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
The Queen City Academy Charter SchoolCharter · enrollment unverified5.6K–120.2 mi300Compare →
Cresthaven Academy Charter SchoolCharter · enrollment unverified4.0K–70.4 mi604Compare →
Union County Teams Charter SchoolCharter · enrollment unverified6.4K–120.4 mi326Compare →
Koinonia AcademyPrivate · tuition6.1privatePK–120.5 mi271Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

Private · tuition: Potential private option; tuition and admission requirements have not been verified.

Public and private scores come from different models and are shown side by side, not blended into one ranking.

Plainfield Public School District

Schools in district
15
Rank in district
#10 of 14
District spending per student
$25,788NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
18.7%Census SAIPE · 2024

Washington Community School is listed in Plainfield Public School District; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Washington Community School

Washington Community School is a public elementary school in Plainfield, NJ, part of Plainfield Public School District, serving approximately 540 students in grades Pre-K-5th with a 13.8:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 5.2 out of 10 and ranks #1,919 of 2,466 schools in NJ. State assessment records show 30% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 19% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Washington Community School

What grades does Washington Community School serve?

Washington Community School serves students in grades Pre-K through 5th.

How many students attend Washington Community School?

Washington Community School has an enrollment of approximately 540 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Washington Community School?

The student-teacher ratio at Washington Community School is 13.8:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Washington Community School rank in NJ?

Washington Community School ranks #1,919 of 2,466 schools in NJ.

What is Washington Community School's MySchoolScout rating?

Washington Community School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 5.2 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Washington Community School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Washington Community School has 30% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 19% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Washington Community School a charter school?

No, Washington Community School is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Washington Community School a Title I school?

No, Washington Community School is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Washington Community School?

84.4% of students at Washington Community School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School factsNCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24)

Grades
Pre-K – 5th
Enrollment
540
Student-Teacher Ratio
13.8:1
Teachers (FTE)
39
Type
regular
Setting
Large Suburb
County
Union County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
27.0%
Area population (ZIP 07060)
47,560
Area average commute
29.9 min
Area median age
33.9
About this school's data

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named below.

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 NJSLA · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 NJSLA. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 NJSLA · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 NJSLA. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 07060; this does not measure the attendance area.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

About our data · How we calculate scores

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