Is South River Elementary School a good school?

South River Elementary School ranks 970 th of 1342 New Jersey elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

How many students attend South River Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 659 students attended South River Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of South River Elementary School?

Students at South River Elementary School are 45% Hispanic, 43% White, 7% African American, 3% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What schools do graduates of South River Elementary School attend?

Students who attend South River Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : South River Middle School High : South River High School

South River Elementary School

Summary:

South River Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades 2-5 in the South River Public School District in New Jersey, with a student population of 659 as of the 2022-2023 school year.

Despite its diverse student body, South River Elementary School has consistently underperformed compared to its peers. The school has ranked in the bottom 30% of New Jersey elementary schools over the past decade, with proficiency rates on state assessments significantly below the state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2022-2023, only 40% of 3rd graders were proficient in English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 42%, and only 18.1% of 5th graders were proficient in math, compared to the state average of 40.1%. The school also faces challenges with high chronic absenteeism, reaching 20.5% in 2021-2022, and a high percentage of economically disadvantaged students, ranging from 37.04% to 57.36% over the past few years.

When compared to nearby schools, such as Woodrow Wilson Elementary School in the Sayreville School District, South River Elementary School's performance is significantly lower, with higher proficiency rates and a higher overall school ranking. Additionally, the school's racial disparities are concerning, with the academic performance of Hispanic and African American students lagging behind their White and Asian peers. The school's declining performance over the past decade suggests the need for substantial interventions to address the needs of its diverse student population and improve academic outcomes.

Detail:

Public 2-5

81 Johnson Place
South River, NJ 08882

(732) 613-4073

District: South River Public School District

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,291

Students who attend South River Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	South River Middle School
High:	South River High School

Student/teacher ratio: 10.9

Number of students: 659

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

45.1%

White:

43.4%

African American:

7.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 57.4%

See top rated New Jersey elementary schools

Compare South River Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details South River Elementary School ranks worse than 72.3% of elementary schools in New Jersey. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 28.33. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a 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: Hispanic (45.1%), White (43.4%), African American (7.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 57.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at South River Elementary School is 10.9. (See more...)

Compare South River Elementary School employs 60.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at South River Elementary School is $9,291.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

South River Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks South River Elementary School 970^th of 1342 New Jersey public elementary schools. (See South River Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

South River Public School District:

SchoolDigger ranks South River Public School District 523^rd of 615 New Jersey school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for South River Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at South River Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NJ State Percentile
2003	50.20	716^th	1204	40.5%
2004	30.09	1031^st	1298	20.6%
2005	25.87	1075^th	1303	17.5%
2006	22.43	1117^th	1314	15.0%
2007	39.56	991^st	1329	25.4%
2008	36.47	1002^nd	1338	25.1%
2009	40.10	954^th	1346	29.1%
2010	41.77	938^th	1354	30.7%
2011	46.50	887^th	1360	34.8%
2012	43.38	909^th	1363	33.3%
2013	39.80	947^th	1367	30.7%
2014	46.02	870^th	1363	36.2%
2015	39.96	844^th	1357	37.8%
2016	36.35	893^rd	1346	33.7%
2017	33.49	935^th	1352	30.8%
2018	25.57	1059^th	1353	21.7%
2019	24.12	1062^nd	1360	21.9%
2021	18.80	1046^th	1317	20.6%
2022	27.27	975^th	1345	27.5%
2023	28.33	970^th	1342	27.7%

See the entire list of New Jersey Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at South River Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	26.50	329^th	434	24.2%
2019	21.08	378^th	463	18.4%
2021	23.20	356^th	411	13.4%
2022	38.80	255^th	489	47.9%
2023	29.83	356^th	499	28.7%

See the entire list of Best New Jersey Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at South River Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	27.66	677^th	1001	32.4%
2019	43.04	509^th	1007	49.5%
2021	22.69	680^th	868	21.7%
2022	39.69	490^th	949	48.4%
2023	34.73	552^nd	958	42.4%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at South River Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	37.78	650^th	942	31.0%
2019	36.68	591^st	948	37.7%
2021	39.56	502^nd	839	40.2%
2022	56.11	303^rd	863	64.9%
2023	48.80	412^th	910	54.7%

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

Rank History for Female students at South River Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	21.43	1077^th	1333	19.2%
2019	18.52	1106^th	1331	16.9%
2021	14.83	1123^rd	1290	12.9%
2022	28.92	924^th	1326	30.3%
2023	29.92	920^th	1318	30.2%

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

Rank History for Male students at South River Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	32.68	925^th	1334	30.7%
2019	32.86	924^th	1335	30.8%
2021	25.55	907^th	1297	30.1%
2022	27.41	946^th	1324	28.5%
2023	29.16	922^nd	1315	29.9%

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

Rank History for African American students at South River Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NJ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	64.83	146^th	517	71.8%
2019	57.35	194^th	522	62.8%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at South River Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	38.43	530^th	870	39.1%
2019	36.60	567^th	899	36.9%
2021	28.55	696^th	896	22.3%
2022	36.36	584^th	953	38.7%
2023	33.42	641^st	982	34.7%

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

Rank History for White students at South River Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	12.29	933^rd	1022	8.7%
2019	10.08	944^th	1023	7.7%
2021	10.81	919^th	964	4.7%
2022	14.12	882^nd	976	9.6%
2023	18.98	827^th	975	15.2%

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 South River Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1999	558	71	18	98	1	n/a	n/a	746
2000	598	79	18	92	0	n/a	n/a	787
2001	585	86	23	123	2	n/a	n/a	819
2002	615	105	31	139	1	n/a	n/a	891
2003	615	105	31	139	1	n/a	n/a	891
2004	593	92	39	160	1	n/a	n/a	885
2005	570	86	30	165	5	n/a	n/a	856
2006	354	59	23	107	0	n/a	n/a	543
2007	337	52	20	81	0	n/a	n/a	490
2008	379	52	28	129	1	n/a	n/a	589
2009	341	40	31	149	1	0	6	568
2010	366	44	34	185	1	0	4	634
2011	344	34	34	165	0	0	5	582
2012	350	47	27	176	0	0	5	605
2013	327	38	29	194	0	0	16	604
2014	319	41	21	205	0	0	21	607
2015	329	43	20	209	1	0	17	619
2016	313	41	13	204	1	0	12	584
2017	308	30	11	198	1	0	8	556
2018	263	42	13	214	0	0	6	538
2019	277	36	16	226	1	0	11	567
2020	297	42	18	274	1	1	19	652
2021	302	36	18	274	1	1	23	655
2022	285	36	13	265	1	2	19	621
2023	286	47	9	297	0	1	19	659

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 South River Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1999	746	42.4	17.6	19.3
2000	787	43.4	18.1	30.2
2001	819	43.6	18.8	27
2002	891	50.1	17.8	26.8
2003	891	50.1	17.8	26.8
2004	885	50.6	17.5	27.7
2005	856	51.6	16.6	n/a
2006	543	27.0	20.1	33.5
2007	490	27.0	18.1	29.4
2008	589	26.0	22.7	29.5
2009	568	35.1	17.2	36.1
2010	634	31.0	20.4	42.6
2011	582	30.0	19.4	38
2012	605	38.2	15.8	41
2013	604	37.9	15.9	48.8
2014	607	46.0	13.1	45.1
2015	619	47.0	13.1	51.4
2016	584	47.0	12.4	19.7
2017	556	46.8	11.8	43.3
2018	538	44.1	12.1	45.7
2019	567	47.0	12.0	49.4
2020	652	58.0	11.2	55.2
2021	655	59.2	11.0	56.3
2022	621	62.3	9.9	37
2023	659	60.3	10.9	57.4

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 South River Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1999	746	42.4	17.6	19.3
2000	787	43.4	18.1	30.2
2001	819	43.6	18.8	27
2002	891	50.1	17.8	26.8
2003	891	50.1	17.8	26.8
2004	885	50.6	17.5	27.7
2005	856	51.6	16.6	n/a
2006	543	27.0	20.1	33.5
2007	490	27.0	18.1	29.4
2008	589	26.0	22.7	29.5
2009	568	35.1	17.2	36.1
2010	634	31.0	20.4	42.6
2011	582	30.0	19.4	38
2012	605	38.2	15.8	41
2013	604	37.9	15.9	48.8
2014	607	46.0	13.1	45.1
2015	619	47.0	13.1	51.4
2016	584	47.0	12.4	19.7
2017	556	46.8	11.8	43.3
2018	538	44.1	12.1	45.7
2019	567	47.0	12.0	49.4
2020	652	58.0	11.2	55.2
2021	655	59.2	11.0	56.3
2022	621	62.3	9.9	37
2023	659	60.3	10.9	57.4

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 South River Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$568 (6.1%)	$8,723 (93.9%)	$9,291

Data source: New Jersey Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on South River 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 1062^nd of 1360 Elementary schools	Ranks 970^th of 1342 Elementary schools	5.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (South River Elementary School)	37.9	40	2.1%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (South River Public School District)	37.9	40	2.1%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (New Jersey)	50.2	42	8.2%
3rd Grade Mathematics (South River Elementary School)	35	36.7	1.7%
3rd Grade Mathematics (South River Public School District)	35	36.7	1.7%
3rd Grade Mathematics (New Jersey)	55.1	45.9	9.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (South River Elementary School)	38.8	40.9	2.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (South River Public School District)	38.8	40.9	2.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (New Jersey)	57.4	51.3	6.1%
4th Grade Mathematics (South River Elementary School)	33.8	31.3	2.5%
4th Grade Mathematics (South River Public School District)	33.8	31.3	2.5%
4th Grade Mathematics (New Jersey)	51	44.3	6.7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (South River Elementary School)	46.4	31.9	14.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (South River Public School District)	46.4	31.9	14.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (New Jersey)	57.9	53.2	4.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (South River Elementary School)	34.9	18.1	16.8%
5th Grade Mathematics (South River Public School District)	34.9	18.1	16.8%
5th Grade Mathematics (New Jersey)	46.8	40.1	6.7%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	567	659	16.2%
African American	36	47	30.6%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	16	9	43.8%
Hispanic	226	297	31.4%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	277	286	3.2%
Two or More Races	11	19	72.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	49.4%	57.4%	8%

Schools Near South River 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 English Language Arts 3rd Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 4th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 5th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 3rd Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 4th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
South River Elementary School	Public	2-5	81 Johnson Place	South River	08882	Middlesex County	South River Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(732) 613-4073	659	60	10.9	57.4%	286 (43.4%)	47 (7.1%)	297 (45.1%)	9 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	19 (2.9%)	28.3	970^th of 1342 public elementary schools	27.7%		27.3	975^th of 1345 public elementary schools	27.5%	5	15.2	40.0	40.9	31.9	36.7	31.3	18.1	$9,291	$568	$8,723
South River Primary School	Public	PK, KG-1	22 David Street	South River	08882	Middlesex County	South River Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(732) 613-4006	448	42	10.7	38.6%	217 (48.4%)	29 (6.5%)	171 (38.2%)	10 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.7%)								(n/a)								$9,607	$123	$9,484
Central Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	371 Cranbury Road	East Brunswick	08816	Middlesex County	East Brunswick Township School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(732) 613-6820	355	42	8.4	21.1%	136 (38.3%)	29 (8.2%)	44 (12.4%)	125 (35.2%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	19 (5.4%)	85.3	200^th of 1342 public elementary schools	85.1%		82.6	248^th of 1345 public elementary schools	81.6%	48		61.7	74.6		70.5	73.3		$14,235		$14,235
Irwin Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	71 Racetrack Road	East Brunswick	08816	Middlesex County	East Brunswick Township School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(732) 613-6840	321	28	11.4	23.1%	135 (42.1%)	11 (3.4%)	42 (13.1%)	117 (36.4%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.4%)	67.2	452^nd of 1342 public elementary schools	66.3%		79.8	291^st of 1345 public elementary schools	78.4%	161		68.7	46.6		74.0	49.2		$12,122	$226	$11,896
Chittick Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	5 Flagler Street	East Brunswick	08816	Middlesex County	East Brunswick Township School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(732) 613-6830	392	42	9.3	31.4%	142 (36.2%)	15 (3.8%)	97 (24.7%)	120 (30.6%)	4 (1.0%)	1 (0.3%)	13 (3.3%)	68.2	444^th of 1342 public elementary schools	66.9%		55	609^th of 1345 public elementary schools	54.7%	165		44.6	68.4		53.8	58.3		$13,704	$183	$13,521
Woodrow Wilson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	65 Dane Street	Sayreville	08872	Middlesex County	Sayreville School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(732) 525-5240	328	28	11.6	39.9%	147 (44.8%)	49 (14.9%)	55 (16.8%)	60 (18.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	15 (4.6%)	77	318^th of 1342 public elementary schools	76.3%		54.2	616^th of 1345 public elementary schools	54.2%	298		62.0			59.8			$7,702	$136	$7,566
Bowne-Munro Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	120 Main Street	East Brunswick	08816	Middlesex County	East Brunswick Township School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(732) 613-6810	176	18	9.8	22.7%	92 (52.3%)	14 (8.0%)	32 (18.2%)	31 (17.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	6 (3.4%)	72	395^th of 1342 public elementary schools	70.6%		74.5	365^th of 1345 public elementary schools	72.9%	30		54.0	67.6		56.7	59.5		$13,912	$163	$13,749
Memorial Elementary School	Public	K-4	14 Innes Road	East Brunswick	08816	Middlesex County	East Brunswick Township School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(732) 613-6860	425	43	9.8	24.5%	165 (38.8%)	24 (5.6%)	75 (17.6%)	137 (32.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (5.6%)	80.4	266^th of 1342 public elementary schools	80.2%		69	436^th of 1345 public elementary schools	67.6%	170		60.5	66.3		71.3	65.0		$12,923	$187	$12,736
Frost Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	65 Frost Avenue	East Brunswick	08816	Middlesex County	East Brunswick Township School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(732) 613-6850	375	35	10.7	13.1%	156 (41.6%)	24 (6.4%)	48 (12.8%)	123 (32.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	22 (5.9%)	75.6	348^th of 1342 public elementary schools	74.1%		85.9	191^st of 1345 public elementary schools	85.8%	157		54.7	67.0		63.1	63.3		$11,319		$11,319
Lawrence Brook Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	48 Sullivan Way	East Brunswick	08816	Middlesex County	East Brunswick Township School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(732) 613-6870	357	41	8.6	23.0%	152 (42.6%)	25 (7.0%)	63 (17.6%)	97 (27.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	17 (4.8%)	89.6	126^th of 1342 public elementary schools	90.6%		73.7	380^th of 1345 public elementary schools	71.7%	254		76.1	81.2		78.8	65.7		$12,904	$221	$12,683

South River Elementary School

South River Elementary School:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

South River Public School District:

What do you think?

Rank History for South River Elementary School

Rank History for all students at South River Elementary School

Rank History for English Language Learner students at South River Elementary School

Rank History for Special Education students at South River Elementary School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at South River Elementary School

Rank History for Female students at South River Elementary School

Rank History for Male students at South River Elementary School

Rank History for African American students at South River Elementary School

Rank History for Hispanic students at South River Elementary School

Rank History for White students at South River Elementary School

Enrollment information for South River Elementary School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at South River Elementary School

Student/Teacher Ratio South River Elementary School

Per Pupil Expenditures for South River Elementary School

Impact of COVID-19 on South River Elementary School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near South River Elementary School

Frequently Asked Questions about South River Elementary School

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