Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Elementary Schools

Best Elementary Schools
in South Orange-Maplewood School District

This page covers 6 of the 7 elementary schools in South Orange-Maplewood School District had enough federal data to rank. Rankings use a composite of neighborhood opportunity, class sizes, and per-student investment — signals available consistently from federal data across all US public schools. Schools in this district score near the national median on neighborhood opportunity. Use these rankings as a starting point; pair them with school visits and conversations with local parents before making any enrollment decision.

6
Schools Ranked
New Jersey
State
None
Charter Schools
RankingsHow We RankFAQAbout Data

Elementary Schools Rankings

Showing 6 of 6
1
rank
Marshall Elementary School
Grades PK–02475 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (11.6:1) · above-average investment ($32,140/student)
70
/100
Student:Teacher
11.6:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
48/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$32,140
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
6%
Low economic need
2
rank
South Mountain Elementary School
Grades PK–05618 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (12.5:1) · above-average investment ($32,140/student)
70
/100
Student:Teacher
12.5:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
48/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$32,140
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
3%
Low economic need
3
rank
Seth Boyden Elementary Demonstration School
Grades KG–05373 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (8.1:1) · above-average investment ($32,140/student)
67
/100
Student:Teacher
8.1:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
37/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$32,140
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
28%
Low economic need
4
rank
Clinton Elementary School
Grades PK–05550 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (11.0:1) · above-average investment ($32,140/student)
66
/100
Student:Teacher
11.0:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
37/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$32,140
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
14%
Low economic need
5
rank
Delia Bolden Elementary School
Grades 03–05448 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (11.3:1) · above-average investment ($32,140/student)
66
/100
Student:Teacher
11.3:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
37/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$32,140
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
9%
Low economic need
6
rank
Tuscan Elementary School
Grades KG–05577 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (12.5:1) · above-average investment ($32,140/student)
65
/100
Student:Teacher
12.5:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
37/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$32,140
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
7%
Low economic need
How We Rank Elementary Schools

Each school receives a composite score (0–100) built from 4 federal data signals, weighted to reflect what matters most at the elementary school level. All signals are normalised against national benchmarks so a school's score reflects its standing across the entire US, not just within this district.

Neighborhood Opportunity
40%
Harvard Opportunity Atlas score for the school's neighbourhood. Higher means children from this area historically achieve stronger economic outcomes.
Student-Teacher Ratio
30%
Lower ratio = smaller classes = more individual attention per child. Normalised against national range.
Per-Pupil Expenditure
20%
Annual district spending per enrolled student from the NCES F-33 Finance Survey. Compared against national average.
Free Lunch Rate
10%
Percentage of students qualifying for free/reduced-price lunch. Used as a neighbourhood economic-context signal.
Test scores are excluded: they are not published as consistent open federal data across all states, making reliable cross-district comparison impossible with this signal alone.
District at a Glance
6
Elementary Schools
11
Total Schools
70
#1 Score
67
Avg Score
Top Ranked Elementary School
Other School Levels
Compare South Orange-Maplewood School District with neighbouring districts
⇄ Compare districts
Frequently Asked Questions
About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets: NCES Common Core of Data (enrollment, school characteristics, student-teacher ratios), NCES F-33 Finance Survey (per-pupil expenditure), Harvard Opportunity Atlas (neighbourhood opportunity scores). Federal data is published on an annual cycle and may not reflect the very latest school-year changes. Rankings reflect available data and should be used as a starting point — not a substitute for visiting schools or consulting district resources directly. What this ranking does not measure: teacher quality, classroom culture, extracurricular programmes, school safety, or parent and student satisfaction.