Colin Powell Elementary School

Q: Is Colin Powell Elementary School a good school?

Colin Powell Elementary School ranks 621 st of 1342 New Jersey elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Colin Powell Elementary School is a public elementary school in Union City, New Jersey, serving 721 students from kindergarten to 5th grade. The school stands out for its high percentage of Hispanic students, strong academic performance, and steady improvement in rankings and ratings over the years.

Academically, Colin Powell Elementary School has shown relatively strong proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics compared to the Union City School District and the state of New Jersey. For example, in 3rd grade, 60.4% of students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 45.7% in the district and 42% statewide. The school's performance is particularly impressive among its Hispanic and English Language Learner (ELL) student subgroups, ranking 173 out of 982 New Jersey elementary schools for Hispanic students and 87 out of 499 for ELL students.

However, the school faces challenges with a high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds (84.88% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch) and a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, from 0.1% in 2020-2021 to 22.3% in 2021-2022. When compared to nearby schools, such as Hudson Elementary School, Colin Powell Elementary School generally outperforms its peers in ELA but has more mixed results in Mathematics. The school also lags behind the high-performing Elysian Charter School of Hoboken in both subject areas.

Detail:

Public K-5

1500 New York Avenue
Union City, NJ 07087

(201) 351-5165

District: Union City School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
621^st of 1,342 New Jersey Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,464

Students who attend Colin Powell Elementary School usually attend:

High:	Jose Marti STEM Academy
	Union City High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.1

Number of students: 721

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

96.0%

African American:

1.8%

Asian:

1.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 84.9%

See top rated New Jersey elementary schools

Compare Colin Powell Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Colin Powell Elementary School ranks better than 53.7% of elementary schools in New Jersey. It also ranks 4^th among 9 ranked elementary schools in the Union City School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 53.65. (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 (96%), African American (1.8%), Asian (1.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 84.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Colin Powell Elementary School is 14.1. 6 elementary schools in the Union City School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Colin Powell Elementary School employs 51 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Colin Powell Elementary School is $10,464, which is the 4^th highest among 9 elementary schools in the Union City School District.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Colin Powell Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Colin Powell Elementary School 621^st of 1342 New Jersey public elementary schools. (See Colin Powell 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 283^rd of 615 New Jersey school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Colin Powell Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Colin Powell Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NJ State Percentile
2015	18.01	1138^th	1357	16.1%
2016	23.60	1070^th	1346	20.5%
2017	30.49	969^th	1352	28.3%
2018	41.79	836^th	1353	38.2%
2019	33.42	957^th	1360	29.6%
2021	22.64	978^th	1317	25.7%
2022	43.82	749^th	1345	44.3%
2023	53.65	621^st	1342	53.7%

See the entire list of New Jersey Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Colin Powell Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	70.70	106^th	434	75.6%
2019	62.44	142^nd	463	69.3%
2021	45.45	156^th	411	62.0%
2022	70.00	101^st	489	79.3%
2023	78.56	87^th	499	82.6%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Colin Powell Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	22.64	748^th	1001	25.3%
2019	37.56	556^th	1007	44.8%
2021	31.18	559^th	868	35.6%
2023	26.55	665^th	958	30.6%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Colin Powell Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	71.37	204^th	942	78.3%
2019	62.12	269^th	948	71.6%
2021	52.05	325^th	839	61.3%
2022	73.99	152^nd	863	82.4%
2023	86.30	73^rd	910	92.0%

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

Rank History for Female students at Colin Powell Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	41.40	832^nd	1333	37.6%
2019	29.75	975^th	1331	26.7%
2021	23.41	974^th	1290	24.5%
2022	45.91	706^th	1326	46.8%
2023	51.99	611^th	1318	53.6%

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

Rank History for Male students at Colin Powell Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	42.96	785^th	1334	41.2%
2019	38.79	844^th	1335	36.8%
2021	24.26	924^th	1297	28.8%
2022	42.88	734^th	1324	44.6%
2023	55.52	578^th	1315	56.0%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Colin Powell Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	63.96	257^th	870	70.5%
2019	54.50	368^th	899	59.1%
2021	45.26	435^th	896	51.5%
2022	67.45	244^th	953	74.4%
2023	77.32	173^rd	982	82.4%

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.

Data source: New Jersey Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Colin Powell Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	Total
2013	21	5	11	830	867
2014	23	6	11	850	890
2015	18	7	13	844	882
2016	14	5	8	762	789
2017	17	4	9	758	788
2018	17	11	12	802	842
2019	18	12	6	797	833
2020	18	17	10	820	865
2021	15	18	13	803	849
2022	12	15	10	716	753
2023	6	13	10	692	721

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 Colin Powell Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2013	867	47.5	18.2	91.1
2014	890	47.0	18.9	94
2015	882	52.0	16.9	90.6
2016	789	55.0	14.3	89.2
2017	788	55.0	14.3	83.6
2018	842	54.8	15.3	84.6
2019	833	54.8	15.2	83.3
2020	865	52.6	16.4	73.6
2021	849	51.0	16.6	60.8
2022	753	52.0	14.4	76.4
2023	721	51.0	14.1	84.9

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 Colin Powell Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2013	867	47.5	18.2	91.1
2014	890	47.0	18.9	94
2015	882	52.0	16.9	90.6
2016	789	55.0	14.3	89.2
2017	788	55.0	14.3	83.6
2018	842	54.8	15.3	84.6
2019	833	54.8	15.2	83.3
2020	865	52.6	16.4	73.6
2021	849	51.0	16.6	60.8
2022	753	52.0	14.4	76.4
2023	721	51.0	14.1	84.9

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 Colin Powell Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$355 (3.4%)	$10,109 (96.6%)	$10,464

Data source: New Jersey Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Colin Powell 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 957^th of 1360 Elementary schools	Ranks 621^st of 1342 Elementary schools	24.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Colin Powell Elementary School)	48.2	60.4	12.2%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Union City School District)	45.1	45.7	0.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (New Jersey)	50.2	42	8.2%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Colin Powell Elementary School)	57.3	60.3	3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Union City School District)	47.4	41.4	6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (New Jersey)	55.1	45.9	9.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Colin Powell Elementary School)	49.7	53.7	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Union City School District)	55.6	52.8	2.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (New Jersey)	57.4	51.3	6.1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Colin Powell Elementary School)	40.2	36.2	4%
4th Grade Mathematics (Union City School District)	40.7	37.7	3%
4th Grade Mathematics (New Jersey)	51	44.3	6.7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Colin Powell Elementary School)	43.9	61.5	17.6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Union City School District)	50.3	56.3	6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (New Jersey)	57.9	53.2	4.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Colin Powell Elementary School)	26.7	33.3	6.6%
5th Grade Mathematics (Union City School District)	29.7	30.1	0.4%
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	833	721	13.4%
African American	12	13	8.3%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	6	10	66.7%
Hispanic	797	692	13.2%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	18	6	66.7%
Two or More Races	0	0
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	83.3%	84.9%	1.6%

Schools Near Colin Powell 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)						NJSLA Algebra I (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	NJSLA Algebra I 8th Grade	NJSLA Algebra I End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Colin Powell Elementary School	Public	K-5	1500 New York Avenue	Union City	07087	Hudson County	Union City School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 351-5165	721	51	14.1	84.9%	6 (0.8%)	13 (1.8%)	692 (96.0%)	10 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	53.6	621^st of 1342 public elementary schools	53.7%		43.8	749^th of 1345 public elementary schools	44.3%	128	21.4		60.4	53.7	61.5				60.3	36.2	33.3						$10,464	$355	$10,109
Hudson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	167 19th St	Union City	07087	Hudson County	Union City School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 624-9800	295	28	10.5	76.6%	19 (6.4%)	5 (1.7%)	263 (89.2%)	7 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	56.6	591^st of 1342 public elementary schools	56.0%		11.3	1214^th of 1345 public elementary schools	9.7%	623			46.9						49.1								$11,375	$464	$10,911
Veterans' Memorial Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1401 Central Avenue	Union City	07087	Hudson County	Union City School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 348-2737	551	37	14.8	87.1%	8 (1.5%)	3 (0.5%)	531 (96.4%)	9 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29	960^th of 1342 public elementary schools	28.5%		24.7	1010^th of 1345 public elementary schools	24.9%	50	7.0		25.0	62.0	40.6				10.0	44.0	13.0						$10,358	$522	$9,836
Sara M. Gilmore Academy	Public	1-8	1700 Kerrigan Avenue	Union City	07087	Hudson County	Union City School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 348-5851	390	25	15.6	57.4%	45 (11.5%)	10 (2.6%)	303 (77.7%)	32 (8.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	95.8	20^th of 1342 public elementary schools	98.5%		92.2	94^th of 1345 public elementary schools	93.0%	74	54.0	30.0	90.7	96.3	96.0	94.3		94.2	76.8	90.8	80.0	63.5	66.0	73.1			$11,311	$157	$11,154
John F Kennedy Elementary School	Public	1-8	1210 Eleventh St	North Bergen	07047	Hudson County	North Bergen School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 974-7000	601	50	11.9	66.1%	36 (6.0%)	7 (1.2%)	532 (88.5%)	23 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	33.4	900^th of 1342 public elementary schools	32.9%		22.8	1037^th of 1345 public elementary schools	22.9%	137	28.4	0.0	34.0	47.6	32.3	27.1	55.2	34.6	44.0	17.4	5.8	18.3	12.9	2.0			$6,067		$6,067
Thomas A Edison Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	507 West St	Union City	07087	Hudson County	Union City School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 348-5965	839	81	10.3	91.7%	14 (1.7%)	22 (2.6%)	793 (94.5%)	10 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37	843^rd of 1342 public elementary schools	37.2%		35.1	864^th of 1345 public elementary schools	35.8%	21	7.7		30.3	55.5	43.6	56.6			32.8	30.1	31.6	26.4					$10,005	$572	$9,433
Elysian Charter School of Hoboken	Public, Charter	K-8	1460 Garden Street	Hoboken	07030	Hudson County	Elysian Charter School	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 876-0102	292	26	11.1	10.6%	203 (69.5%)	8 (2.7%)	45 (15.4%)	21 (7.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (5.1%)	92	85^th of 1342 public elementary schools	93.7%		86.2	186^th of 1345 public elementary schools	86.2%	101	58.9	31.3	75.0	81.2	82.3	71.9	65.6	65.6	81.2	84.4	79.4	56.3	56.2	40.0	100.0	100.0	$8,361	$513	$7,848
Eugenio Maria de Hostos Center for Early Childhood Education	Public	PK-K	2200 Kennedy Blvd	Union City	07087	Hudson County	Union City School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 271-2311	279	39	7.1	76.3%	16 (5.7%)	6 (2.2%)	248 (88.9%)	8 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)								(n/a)																	$8,345	$380	$7,965
Daniel Webster School	Public	PK, KG-2	2700 Palisade Ave	Weehawken	07086	Hudson County	Weehawken Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 422-6150	379	35	10.8	36.9%	196 (51.7%)	23 (6.1%)	116 (30.6%)	37 (9.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.8%)								(n/a)																	$8,809	$270	$8,539
Robert Waters Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	2800 Summit Ave	Union City	07087	Hudson County	Union City School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(201) 348-5925	976	71	13.7	88.0%	10 (1.0%)	7 (0.7%)	954 (97.7%)	5 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33.4	898^th of 1342 public elementary schools	33.1%		38.5	813^th of 1345 public elementary schools	39.6%	85	4.7		37.9	34.1	52.6	48.5			44.9	23.1	18.1	29.6					$9,833	$546	$9,287

Frequently Asked Questions about Colin Powell Elementary School

Is Colin Powell Elementary School a good school?

Colin Powell Elementary School ranks 621^st of 1342 New Jersey elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Colin Powell Elementary School in?

Union City School District

How many students attend Colin Powell Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 721 students attended Colin Powell Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Colin Powell Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Colin Powell Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : Jose Marti STEM Academy
High : Union City High School

What is the racial makeup of Colin Powell Elementary School?

Students at Colin Powell Elementary School are 96% Hispanic, 2% African American, 1% Asian.

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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.