Robert Waters Elementary School

Summary:

Robert Waters Elementary School is a public elementary school in Union City, New Jersey, serving 976 students in grades PK-6. The school is part of the Union City School District, which is ranked 291 out of 613 districts in the state.

Robert Waters Elementary School has consistently ranked in the bottom half of New Jersey elementary schools over the past 10 years, with below-average performance on state assessments in both English Language Arts and Mathematics. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, the percentage of students proficient or better in NJSLA/English Language Arts ranged from 39.3% to 51.8%, compared to the state averages of 43.6% to 53.2%. In NJSLA/Mathematics, the proficiency rates at Robert Waters Elementary School ranged from 18.6% to 53.9%, while the state averages were 36.2% to 47.6%. The school also has significantly higher chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 16.6% to 28.0%, compared to the state average.

Interestingly, the nearby George Washington Elementary, Sara M. Gilmore Academy, and Colin Powell Elementary schools within the Union City School District generally outperform Robert Waters Elementary School on state assessments and have lower chronic absenteeism rates. Sara M. Gilmore Academy, in particular, stands out as a high-performing school, ranking in the top 7% of New Jersey elementary schools and significantly outperforming the district and state averages.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

 2800 Summit Ave
       Union City, NJ  07087-2323


(201) 348-5925

District: Union City School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
884th of 1,338 New Jersey Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $9,833 Help


Students who attend Robert Waters Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Emerson Middle School
    Union Hill Middle School
High:    Jose Marti STEM Academy
    Union City High School

Student/teacher ratio:  13.7 Help
Number of students:  1,019

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
97.4%
White:
1.1%
African American:
1.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  88% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Robert Waters Elementary School ranks worse than 66.1% of elementary schools in New Jersey. It also ranks 8th among 9 ranked elementary schools in the Union City School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 33.83. (See more...)
Help
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
Help
Compare Details Robert Waters Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Union City School District. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (97.4%), African American (1.1%), White (1.1%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 88% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Robert Waters Elementary School is $9,833. 7 elementary schools in the Union City School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Robert Waters Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Robert Waters Elementary School 884th of 1338 New Jersey public elementary schools. (See Robert Waters 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:


Union City School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Union City School District 291st of 613 New Jersey school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Robert Waters Elementary School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Robert Waters Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 16.19 1015th 1204 15.7%
2004 24.02 1082nd 1298 16.6%
2005 41.74 927th 1303 28.9%
2006 60.43 698th 1314 46.9%
2007 56.88 766th 1329 42.4%
2008 51.90 818th 1338 38.9%
2009 55.65 728th 1346 45.9%
2010 38.54 975th 1354 28.0%
2011 44.67 910th 1360 33.1%
2012 30.84 1053rd 1363 22.7%
2013 29.83 1054th 1367 22.9%
2014 32.90 1020th 1363 25.2%
2015 21.62 1085th 1357 20.0%
2016 24.28 1063rd 1346 21.0%
2017 24.13 1053rd 1352 22.1%
2018 26.72 1047th 1353 22.6%
2019 25.00 1050th 1360 22.8%
2021 17.42 1071st 1317 18.7%
2022 38.53 813th 1345 39.6%
2023 33.44 898th 1342 33.1%
2024 33.83 884th 1338 33.9%
See the entire list of New Jersey Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Robert Waters Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 55.18 159th 434 63.4%
2019 53.26 186th 463 59.8%
2021 43.53 171st 411 58.4%
2022 70.51 97th 489 80.2%
2023 62.30 132nd 499 73.5%
2024 66.55 115th 559 79.4%
See the entire list of Best New Jersey Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Robert Waters Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 26.05 701st 1001 30.0%
2019 13.59 926th 1007 8.0%
2022 33.44 570th 949 39.9%
2023 39.85 492nd 958 48.6%
2024 32.54 604th 989 38.9%
See the entire list of Best New Jersey Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Robert Waters Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 54.12 404th 942 57.1%
2019 53.10 383rd 948 59.6%
2021 51.65 330th 839 60.7%
2022 70.11 179th 863 79.3%
2023 54.98 337th 910 63.0%
2024 58.89 303rd 939 67.7%
See the entire list of Best New Jersey Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Robert Waters Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 28.09 1009th 1333 24.3%
2019 28.70 992nd 1331 25.5%
2021 17.67 1081st 1290 16.2%
2022 39.13 794th 1326 40.1%
2023 29.74 922nd 1318 30.0%
2024 29.05 919th 1317 30.2%
See the entire list of Best New Jersey Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Robert Waters Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 26.90 1012th 1334 24.1%
2019 23.86 1039th 1335 22.2%
2021 21.30 975th 1297 24.8%
2022 39.66 771st 1324 41.8%
2023 38.77 795th 1315 39.5%
2024 39.65 774th 1313 41.1%
See the entire list of Best New Jersey Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Robert Waters Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NJ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 47.11 437th 870 49.8%
2019 44.51 481st 899 46.5%
2021 38.44 536th 896 40.2%
2022 63.52 283rd 953 70.3%
2023 69.73 238th 982 75.8%
2024 54.69 392nd 989 60.4%
See the entire list of Best New Jersey Elementary Schools for Hispanic 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.

Robert Waters Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: New Jersey Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Robert Waters Elementary School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 52 12 4 1025 0 n/a n/a 0 1093
1989 40 12 8 988 0 n/a n/a 0 1048
1990 37 13 5 999 0 n/a n/a 0 1054
1991 44 14 7 1009 0 n/a n/a 0 1074
1992 37 10 5 1066 0 n/a n/a 0 1118
1993 24 3 3 1028 0 n/a n/a 0 1058
1994 32 7 5 1053 0 n/a n/a 0 1097
1995 32 9 1 1006 0 n/a n/a 0 1048
1996 32 9 1 1006 0 n/a n/a 0 1048
1998 38 18 14 1075 0 n/a n/a 0 1145
1999 25 15 13 1149 0 n/a n/a 0 1202
2000 70 15 15 1328 0 n/a n/a 0 1428
2001 29 14 25 1289 0 n/a n/a 0 1357
2002 27 14 17 1201 0 n/a n/a 0 1259
2003 27 14 17 1201 0 n/a n/a 0 1259
2004 32 12 17 1201 0 n/a n/a 0 1262
2005 23 16 13 1212 0 n/a n/a 0 1264
2006 27 9 15 1203 0 n/a n/a 0 1254
2007 25 10 10 1139 0 n/a n/a 0 1184
2008 18 13 6 1084 0 n/a n/a 0 1121
2009 22 17 6 1068 0 0 0 0 1113
2010 20 8 6 921 0 0 0 0 955
2011 28 14 9 962 0 0 0 0 1013
2012 15 11 9 1010 0 0 0 0 1045
2013 17 11 11 1057 0 0 0 0 1096
2014 19 11 11 1073 0 0 0 0 1114
2015 14 5 13 1083 0 0 0 0 1115
2016 6 5 6 1121 0 0 0 0 1138
2017 4 3 6 1127 0 0 0 0 1140
2018 5 2 6 1124 0 0 0 0 1137
2019 7 6 6 1065 0 0 0 0 1084
2020 14 8 8 1040 0 0 0 0 1070
2021 8 8 7 979 0 0 0 0 1002
2022 5 10 6 959 0 0 0 0 980
2023 10 7 5 954 0 0 0 0 976
2024 11 11 4 993 0 0 0 0 1019

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 Robert Waters Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1093 64.0 17.0 n/a
1989 1048 67.0 15.6 n/a
1990 1054 64.0 16.4 34.8
1991 1074 66.0 16.2 54.4
1992 1118 64.0 17.4 59.7
1993 1058 66.5 15.9 78.6
1994 1097 69.5 15.8 87.4
1995 1048 63.5 16.5 90.9
1996 1048 63.5 16.5 90.9
1998 1145 73.5 15.6 86.3
1999 1202 79.5 15.1 89.4
2000 1428 86.5 16.5 79.7
2001 1357 87.2 15.6 84.5
2002 1259 95.0 13.3 97.2
2003 1259 95.0 13.3 97.2
2004 1262 98.0 12.9 95.2
2005 1264 96.0 13.2 n/a
2006 1254 95.0 13.2 94.8
2007 1184 86.0 13.8 90.7
2008 1121 74.0 15.1 96.2
2009 1113 92.4 9.9 96.1
2010 955 60.0 15.9 95.9
2011 1013 55.5 18.2 95.6
2012 1045 68.1 15.3 95.6
2013 1096 67.0 16.3 96
2014 1114 62.0 17.9 97.8
2015 1115 67.0 16.6 96.2
2016 1138 69.0 16.4 96.6
2017 1140 70.5 16.1 94.9
2018 1137 71.3 15.9 95.3
2019 1084 71.5 15.1 93.5
2020 1070 71.1 15.0 91.9
2021 1002 71.0 14.1 60.7
2022 980 67.0 14.6 88.8
2023 976 71.0 13.7 88
2024 1019 n/a n/a 88

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 Robert Waters Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1093 64.0 17.0 n/a
1989 1048 67.0 15.6 n/a
1990 1054 64.0 16.4 34.8
1991 1074 66.0 16.2 54.4
1992 1118 64.0 17.4 59.7
1993 1058 66.5 15.9 78.6
1994 1097 69.5 15.8 87.4
1995 1048 63.5 16.5 90.9
1996 1048 63.5 16.5 90.9
1998 1145 73.5 15.6 86.3
1999 1202 79.5 15.1 89.4
2000 1428 86.5 16.5 79.7
2001 1357 87.2 15.6 84.5
2002 1259 95.0 13.3 97.2
2003 1259 95.0 13.3 97.2
2004 1262 98.0 12.9 95.2
2005 1264 96.0 13.2 n/a
2006 1254 95.0 13.2 94.8
2007 1184 86.0 13.8 90.7
2008 1121 74.0 15.1 96.2
2009 1113 92.4 9.9 96.1
2010 955 60.0 15.9 95.9
2011 1013 55.5 18.2 95.6
2012 1045 68.1 15.3 95.6
2013 1096 67.0 16.3 96
2014 1114 62.0 17.9 97.8
2015 1115 67.0 16.6 96.2
2016 1138 69.0 16.4 96.6
2017 1140 70.5 16.1 94.9
2018 1137 71.3 15.9 95.3
2019 1084 71.5 15.1 93.5
2020 1070 71.1 15.0 91.9
2021 1002 71.0 14.1 60.7
2022 980 67.0 14.6 88.8
2023 976 71.0 13.7 88
2024 1019 n/a n/a 88

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 Robert Waters Elementary School

Help

YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $546 (5.6%) $9,287 (94.4%) $9,833

Data source: New Jersey Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Robert Waters 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 1050th of 1360 Elementary schoolsRanks 898th of 1342 Elementary schools
 10.3%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Robert Waters Elementary School)28.437.9
 9.5%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Union City School District)45.145.7
 0.6%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (New Jersey)50.242
 8.2%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Robert Waters Elementary School)38.644.9
 6.3%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Union City School District)47.441.4
 6%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (New Jersey)55.145.9
 9.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Robert Waters Elementary School)44.634.1
 10.5%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Union City School District)55.652.8
 2.8%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (New Jersey)57.451.3
 6.1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Robert Waters Elementary School)39.223.1
 16.1%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Union City School District)40.737.7
 3%
   4th Grade Mathematics (New Jersey)5144.3
 6.7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Robert Waters Elementary School)45.252.6
 7.4%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Union City School District)50.356.3
 6%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (New Jersey)57.953.2
 4.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Robert Waters Elementary School)2218.1
 3.9%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Union City School District)29.730.1
 0.4%
   5th Grade Mathematics (New Jersey)46.840.1
 6.7%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Robert Waters Elementary School)52.848.5
 4.3%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Union City School District)58.459.1
 0.7%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (New Jersey)56.149
 7.1%
6th Grade Mathematics (Robert Waters Elementary School)20.829.6
 8.8%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Union City School District)30.129.1
 1%
   6th Grade Mathematics (New Jersey)40.634.3
 6.3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students1084976
 10%
African American67
 16.7%
American Indian00
Asian65
 16.7%
Hispanic1065954
 10.4%
Pacific Islander00
White710
 42.9%
Two or More Races00
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients93.5%88%
 5.5%


Schools Near Robert Waters Elementary School









Frequently Asked Questions about Robert Waters Elementary School

Students at Robert Waters Elementary School are 97% Hispanic, 1% White, 1% African American.

In the 2023-24 school year, 1,019 students attended Robert Waters Elementary School.

Students who attend Robert Waters Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Emerson Middle School
Middle : Union Hill Middle School
High : Jose Marti STEM Academy
High : Union City High School

Robert Waters Elementary School ranks 884th of 1338 New Jersey elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the New Jersey Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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