Is Watchung Elementary School a good school?

Watchung Elementary School ranks 525 th of 1342 New Jersey elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Watchung Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 221 students attended Watchung Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Watchung Elementary School?

Students at Watchung Elementary School are 51% White, 29% Hispanic, 10% Asian, 6% Two or more races, 4% African American.

What schools do graduates of Watchung Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Watchung Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Von E. Mauger Middle School High : Middlesex High School

Watchung Elementary School

Summary:

Watchung Elementary School is a public K-3 school in Middlesex, New Jersey, serving 221 students with a diverse racial makeup. The school consistently outperforms the Middlesex Borough School District and the state of New Jersey in academic metrics, particularly in 3rd-grade English Language Arts and Mathematics.

Watchung Elementary School's academic excellence is evident in its strong performance across various measures. In 2022-2023, 41.6% of its 3rd-graders were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 37.8% for the district and 42% for the state. In Mathematics, 60.8% of Watchung's 3rd-graders were proficient or better, outpacing the district's 50.3% and the state's 45.9%. The school's White and Special Education student subgroups have also consistently ranked higher than their peers in New Jersey, and its Low Socioeconomic Status students performed exceptionally well, ranking 30th out of 863 elementary schools in 2021-2022.

While Watchung Elementary School has maintained a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger, its statewide ranking has declined from a high of 94 out of 1,346 New Jersey elementary schools in 2015-2016 to 525 out of 1,342 schools in 2022-2023. This trend suggests the need for the school to re-evaluate its strategies and identify areas for improvement to regain its previous high rankings. Compared to other schools in the Middlesex Borough School District, Watchung outperforms its peers, but when compared to schools in neighboring districts, such as Bound Brook and Piscataway, its performance is more mixed.

Detail:

Public K-3

Fisher Avenue
Middlesex, NJ 08846

(732) 317-6000

District: Middlesex Borough School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
525^th of 1,342 New Jersey Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $7,418

Students who attend Watchung Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Von E. Mauger Middle School
High:	Middlesex High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.0

Number of students: 221

Racial breakdown:

White:

50.7%

Hispanic:

29.0%

Asian:

10.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 28.5%

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Compare Watchung Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Watchung Elementary School ranks better than 60.9% of elementary schools in New Jersey. It also ranks first among 3 ranked elementary schools in the Middlesex Borough School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 61.57. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a high 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

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (50.7%), Hispanic (29%), Asian (10%). (See more...)

Compare Details 28.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Watchung Elementary School is 13, which is the highest among 3 elementary schools in the Middlesex Borough School District! (See more...)

Compare Watchung Elementary School employs 17 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Watchung Elementary School is $7,418, which is the lowest among 3 elementary schools in the Middlesex Borough School District!

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Watchung Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Watchung Elementary School 525^th of 1342 New Jersey public elementary schools. (See Watchung Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Middlesex Borough School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Middlesex Borough School District 393^rd of 615 New Jersey school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Watchung Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Watchung Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NJ State Percentile
2004	56.09	722^nd	1298	44.4%
2005	49.99	812^th	1303	37.7%
2006	74.99	344^th	1314	73.8%
2007	62.30	667^th	1329	49.8%
2008	79.13	193^rd	1338	85.6%
2009	70.89	446^th	1346	66.9%
2010	72.33	406^th	1354	70.0%
2011	56.17	752^nd	1360	44.7%
2012	77.59	293^rd	1363	78.5%
2013	77.83	291^st	1367	78.7%
2014	84.24	133^rd	1363	90.2%
2015	92.03	74^th	1357	94.5%
2016	90.45	94^th	1346	93.0%
2017	83.42	205^th	1352	84.8%
2018	48.97	724^th	1353	46.5%
2019	53.20	682^nd	1360	49.9%
2022	68.58	444^th	1345	67.0%
2023	61.57	525^th	1342	60.9%

See the entire list of New Jersey Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Watchung Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NJ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	73.70	182^nd	949	80.8%
2023	42.17	471^st	958	50.8%

See the entire list of Best New Jersey Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Watchung Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	96.52	19^th	942	98.0%
2022	93.44	30^th	863	96.5%
2023	54.71	341^st	910	62.5%

See the entire list of Best New Jersey Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Watchung Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	51.71	676^th	1333	49.3%
2019	50.52	690^th	1331	48.2%
2022	71.40	396^th	1326	70.1%
2023	62.63	502^nd	1318	61.9%

See the entire list of Best New Jersey Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Watchung Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	46.17	738^th	1334	44.7%
2019	55.44	614^th	1335	54.0%
2022	64.06	476^th	1324	64.0%
2023	61.44	507^th	1315	61.4%

See the entire list of Best New Jersey Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Watchung Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NJ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	48.06	471^st	982	52.0%

See the entire list of Best New Jersey Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Watchung Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	25.45	805^th	1022	21.2%
2019	40.01	655^th	1023	36.0%
2022	66.76	306^th	976	68.6%
2023	57.29	411^th	975	57.8%

See the entire list of Best New Jersey Elementary Schools for White 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.

Data source: New Jersey Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Watchung Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	238	7	6	1	0	n/a	n/a	252
1989	230	8	10	3	0	n/a	n/a	251
1990	241	9	13	3	0	n/a	n/a	266
1991	277	6	10	0	0	n/a	n/a	293
1992	293	13	14	8	0	n/a	n/a	328
1993	241	2	19	2	0	n/a	n/a	264
1994	260	3	17	5	0	n/a	n/a	285
1995	277	8	19	9	0	n/a	n/a	313
1996	277	8	19	9	0	n/a	n/a	313
1998	247	4	24	16	0	n/a	n/a	291
1999	241	9	28	17	0	n/a	n/a	295
2000	252	5	15	23	1	n/a	n/a	296
2001	181	2	15	20	0	n/a	n/a	218
2002	174	7	11	31	1	n/a	n/a	224
2003	174	7	11	31	1	n/a	n/a	224
2004	171	7	15	30	0	n/a	n/a	223
2005	158	3	17	29	1	n/a	n/a	208
2006	164	4	14	27	1	n/a	n/a	210
2007	165	5	19	30	0	n/a	n/a	219
2008	164	2	20	31	0	n/a	n/a	217
2009	170	10	26	34	1	0	0	241
2010	164	16	26	39	1	0	0	246
2011	165	11	16	45	0	0	3	240
2012	171	16	16	30	0	0	6	239
2013	160	18	10	39	0	0	2	229
2014	116	20	10	53	0	1	8	208
2015	114	18	12	47	0	1	7	199
2016	111	18	14	43	1	1	5	193
2017	107	11	15	50	0	1	6	190
2018	110	15	19	58	0	1	8	211
2019	133	17	14	65	1	1	11	242
2020	137	20	17	80	0	0	14	268
2021	134	17	17	76	0	0	12	256
2022	121	10	17	76	0	0	10	234
2023	112	9	22	64	0	1	13	221

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 Watchung Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	252	12.0	21.0	n/a
1989	251	12.0	20.9	n/a
1990	266	14.0	19.0	1.9
1991	293	14.0	20.9	2.7
1992	328	16.0	20.5	4.6
1993	264	13.2	20.0	3
1994	285	15.6	18.3	3.2
1995	313	15.8	19.8	3.8
1996	313	15.8	19.8	3.8
1998	291	16.3	17.9	5.2
1999	295	15.3	19.3	5.4
2000	296	15.8	18.7	9.1
2001	218	16.7	13.1	7.8
2002	224	14.3	15.7	10.7
2003	224	14.3	15.7	10.7
2004	223	14.8	15.1	10.3
2005	208	16.8	12.4	n/a
2006	210	14.3	14.7	10
2007	219	13.0	16.8	14.2
2008	217	15.0	14.5	14.7
2009	241	14.1	15.1	16.2
2010	246	12.0	20.5	16.7
2011	240	10.0	24.0	20.8
2012	239	11.4	20.9	20.9
2013	229	11.0	20.8	23.1
2014	208	14.5	14.3	27.4
2015	199	14.0	14.2	28.6
2016	193	11.0	17.5	24.9
2017	190	12.1	15.7	23.2
2018	211	13.5	15.5	22.7
2019	242	16.1	14.9	20.7
2020	268	16.8	15.9	20.5
2021	256	18.8	13.6	25
2022	234	17.0	13.7	26.9
2023	221	17.0	13.0	28.5

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 Watchung Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	252	12.0	21.0	n/a
1989	251	12.0	20.9	n/a
1990	266	14.0	19.0	1.9
1991	293	14.0	20.9	2.7
1992	328	16.0	20.5	4.6
1993	264	13.2	20.0	3
1994	285	15.6	18.3	3.2
1995	313	15.8	19.8	3.8
1996	313	15.8	19.8	3.8
1998	291	16.3	17.9	5.2
1999	295	15.3	19.3	5.4
2000	296	15.8	18.7	9.1
2001	218	16.7	13.1	7.8
2002	224	14.3	15.7	10.7
2003	224	14.3	15.7	10.7
2004	223	14.8	15.1	10.3
2005	208	16.8	12.4	n/a
2006	210	14.3	14.7	10
2007	219	13.0	16.8	14.2
2008	217	15.0	14.5	14.7
2009	241	14.1	15.1	16.2
2010	246	12.0	20.5	16.7
2011	240	10.0	24.0	20.8
2012	239	11.4	20.9	20.9
2013	229	11.0	20.8	23.1
2014	208	14.5	14.3	27.4
2015	199	14.0	14.2	28.6
2016	193	11.0	17.5	24.9
2017	190	12.1	15.7	23.2
2018	211	13.5	15.5	22.7
2019	242	16.1	14.9	20.7
2020	268	16.8	15.9	20.5
2021	256	18.8	13.6	25
2022	234	17.0	13.7	26.9
2023	221	17.0	13.0	28.5

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 Watchung Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$39 (0.5%)	$7,379 (99.5%)	$7,418

Data source: New Jersey Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Watchung Elementary 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 682^nd of 1360 Elementary schools	Ranks 525^th of 1342 Elementary schools	11%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Watchung Elementary School)	47.1	41.6	5.5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Middlesex Borough School District)	52.3	37.8	14.5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (New Jersey)	50.2	42	8.2%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Watchung Elementary School)	62.7	60.8	1.9%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Middlesex Borough School District)	59	50.3	8.7%
3rd Grade Mathematics (New Jersey)	55.1	45.9	9.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	242	221	8.7%
African American	17	9	47.1%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	14	22	57.1%
Hispanic	65	64	1.5%
Pacific Islander	1	1
White	133	112	15.8%
Two or More Races	11	13	18.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	20.7%	28.5%	7.8%

Schools Near Watchung Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				NJSLA-S Science (2023)		NJSLA English Language Arts (2023)						NJSLA Mathematics (2023)						Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	SchoolDigger Rating (2023)	Average Standard Score (2022)	Statewide Rank (2022)	State Percentile (2022)	Rank Change from Previous Year	NJSLA-S Science 5th Grade	NJSLA-S Science 8th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 3rd Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 4th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 5th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 6th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 7th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 8th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 3rd Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 4th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 5th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 6th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 7th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Watchung Elementary School	Public	K-3	Fisher Avenue	Middlesex	08846	Middlesex County	Middlesex Borough School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(732) 317-6000	221	17	13.0	28.5%	112 (50.7%)	9 (4.1%)	64 (29.0%)	22 (10.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	13 (5.9%)	61.6	525^th of 1342 public elementary schools	60.9%		68.6	444^th of 1345 public elementary schools	67.0%	81			41.6						60.8						$7,418	$39	$7,379
Woodland Intermediate School	Public	4-5	Fisher Avenue	Middlesex	08846	Middlesex County	Middlesex Borough School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(732) 317-6000	292	20	14.8	33.9%	118 (40.4%)	25 (8.6%)	121 (41.4%)	20 (6.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.7%)								(n/a)	18.2			49.7	55.4					37.2	39.9
Hazelwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	800 Hazelwood Avenue	Middlesex	08846	Middlesex County	Middlesex Borough School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(732) 317-6000	239	20	11.7	20.5%	137 (57.3%)	15 (6.3%)	62 (25.9%)	22 (9.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.3%)	35.6	864^th of 1342 public elementary schools	35.6%		87	173^rd of 1345 public elementary schools	87.1%	691			30.0						42.0						$12,216	$137	$12,079
Parker Elementary School	Public	K-3	South Lincoln Avenue	Middlesex	08846	Middlesex County	Middlesex Borough School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(732) 317-6000	176	18	9.9	44.3%	37 (21.0%)	16 (9.1%)	103 (58.5%)	15 (8.5%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.3%)	44.7	744^th of 1342 public elementary schools	44.6%		64.2	505^th of 1345 public elementary schools	62.5%	239			40.5						42.2						$10,883	$1,429	$9,454
Smalley Elementary School	Public	3-6	163 Cherry Avenue	Bound Brook	08805	Somerset County	Bound Brook School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(732) 652-7940	536	53	10.1	72.8%	57 (10.6%)	43 (8.0%)	410 (76.5%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	6 (1.1%)	15 (2.8%)	16.9	1128^th of 1342 public elementary schools	15.9%		19.3	1086^th of 1345 public elementary schools	19.3%	42	9.7		11.6	27.1	19.3	31.9			21.1	28.1	19.1	16.0			$8,764	$807	$7,957
Lafayette Elementary School	Public	1-2	60 West High Street	Bound Brook	08805	Somerset County	Bound Brook School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(732) 652-7933	250	29	8.5	77.6%	28 (11.2%)	24 (9.6%)	190 (76.0%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.0%)								(n/a)															$10,471	$990	$9,481
Grandview Elementary School	Public	K-3	130 North Randolphville Rd	Piscataway	08854	Middlesex County	Piscataway Township School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(732) 752-2501	561	77	7.2	35.8%	58 (10.3%)	125 (22.3%)	173 (30.8%)	181 (32.3%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (3.6%)	49.9	671^st of 1342 public elementary schools	50.0%		46.1	718^th of 1345 public elementary schools	46.6%	47			45.1						43.3						$5,683		$5,683
Robert Morris School	Public	PK, KG-8	122 Elizabeth Street	South Bound Brook	08880	Somerset County	South Bound Brook Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(732) 356-3018	430	40	10.8	46.7%	110 (25.6%)	52 (12.1%)	239 (55.6%)	15 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.3%)	45.6	729^th of 1342 public elementary schools	45.7%		42.3	772^nd of 1345 public elementary schools	42.6%	43	8.1	15.4	50.0	50.0	44.4	42.1	53.8	63.1	48.9	60.6	25.5	38.5	43.6	34.3	$13,506	$373	$13,133
LaMonte-Annex Elementary School	Public	PK-K	330 West Second Street	Bound Brook	08805	Somerset County	Bound Brook School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(732) 652-7934	235	27	8.7	65.5%	30 (12.8%)	14 (6.0%)	181 (77.0%)	3 (1.3%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.1%)								(n/a)															$10,395	$1,991	$8,404
John P. Faber Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	400 High Street	Dunellen	08812	Middlesex County	Dunellen Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(732) 400-5900	596	56	10.6	44.6%	145 (24.3%)	61 (10.2%)	334 (56.0%)	30 (5.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	24 (4.0%)	30.8	941^st of 1342 public elementary schools	29.9%		36.7	844^th of 1345 public elementary schools	37.2%	97	19.5		17.5	36.6	55.9				26.1	34.5	28.7				$4,605		$4,605

Watchung Elementary School

Watchung Elementary School:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Middlesex Borough School District:

What do you think?

Rank History for Watchung Elementary School

Rank History for all students at Watchung Elementary School

Rank History for Special Education students at Watchung Elementary School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Watchung Elementary School

Rank History for Female students at Watchung Elementary School

Rank History for Male students at Watchung Elementary School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Watchung Elementary School

Rank History for White students at Watchung Elementary School

Enrollment information for Watchung Elementary School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Watchung Elementary School

Student/Teacher Ratio Watchung Elementary School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Watchung Elementary School

Impact of COVID-19 on Watchung Elementary School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Watchung Elementary School

Frequently Asked Questions about Watchung Elementary School

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