Lawrence Township School District

The Lawrence Township School District in New Jersey consists of a single school, Myron L. Powell Elementary School, which serves students from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade. While the school has access to adequate resources, it faces significant academic challenges, with consistently below-average performance on state assessments compared to the rest of New Jersey.

Myron L. Powell Elementary School has a diverse student population, with a majority of white students (70.62%) and notable percentages of African American (9.38%) and Hispanic (15%) students. However, the school's academic performance, as measured by the New Jersey Student Learning Assessments (NJSLA), lags behind state averages across multiple grade levels and subject areas. In English Language Arts, the percentage of students proficient or better ranges from 30.3% in 3rd grade to 47.6% in 8th grade, compared to state averages of 42% to 55.7%. In Mathematics, the proficiency rates range from 8.7% in 8th grade to 41.9% in 3rd grade, well below the state averages of 17.8% to 45.9%.

Additionally, the school faces challenges with chronic absenteeism, with a rate of 18.4% for the 2021-2022 school year, which is higher than the state average. While the school's per-student spending and low student-to-teacher ratio suggest adequate resources, these factors have not translated into strong academic outcomes for the students. Lawrence Township School District and the community will need to address the root causes of the school's performance issues and implement targeted interventions to improve the educational experience and outcomes for the students at Myron L. Powell Elementary School.