West Belmar Elementary School

925 17TH AVENUE

School District

Wall Township Public
Grade

K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:6
Type

public

School Map for Wall Township Public School District

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by other on June 14, 2024

This review is a complete reflection of what I have seen throughout my children attending and graduating the WB. Mr. Abeal is a gem. He does a fantastic job at bringing fun back into school with family events and creating a sense of community alongside the WBPTA. That is the beautiful thing about the WB. Unfortunately, the staff is either hit or miss which is what we did not expect at all. I am sure it is the same at every school in the nation, and even in NJ unless you're paying top dollar because that is what we keep hearing. The staff itself is "experienced" but that comes at a cost. Being a teacher for years looks great on paper. But when it comes to being in tune with the needs of the current generation, experience doesn't get you very far. Especially when you're experienced and have your set ways on how to run your classroom. For example, the use of worksheets. Worksheets on a daily basis for 180 days is not teaching is supposed to be about in 2024. Personally, I would despise going to school if the only thing I was looking forward to were dittos and busy work. My children's main complaint was that they were bored. I wish the teachers were trained with more evidence-based practices and actually utilized them into the classrooms. What is probably going on is that the staff is going through the motions, attending an hour or day long training and then simply adding it to their resume but then going back to their ways. Is it accountability? Is it a well-known problem that the district can not do anything about? I don't have the answer there. All I have is regret on thinking this was the best choice for my children. The conclusion we have come to is that the staff needs to be injected with young blood that have the patience, the stamina, and the knowledge with modern educational practices that will take the classrooms, the students and the parents into the current decade. I hate to say it, but the WB fell short of our expectations considering the reputation it has throughout the shore towns. I feel our score above reflects this. I am not sure how to amend this. Is it a management issue? Is it a tenure issue? Is it a district wide issue? I do not know, and I wish I could help to fix it. The WB could be a GREAT school. It truly has the potential to be a blue-ribbon school with the sense of community it has but unfortunately the staff needs to get into this century & utilize curriculum that will bring all students up regardless of placement & background.
Submitted by parent on April 27, 2017

The school is horrible! There's only a handful of good teachers. If you're not a cookie-cutter parent you're not respected at all they speak to you like you're one of the students. Very judgemental kind of like some of the parents of the kids that go there
Submitted by other on December 10, 2013

I am a student who attends this school and i have to admit when I transferred from Ross street school 11 to here, I was AMAZED!!! You could not find the nicest teachers, the nicest staff actually, and one of the nicest most caring most professional principal( i said the exact same thing about the principal Mrs. Hahn at Ross st.) ever! The students, i found this just absolutely wonderful!!!!!! They are as nice as can be!!!! That's very rare!!!! And Mrs.Sloan, my 5th grade teacher is the best!! So nice and funny! Smart caring, knows when to get mad unlike other teachers, shes so awesome! Need I say more? 5 STARS FOR YOU WEST BELMAR!!! They even have a huge playground for recess! Well, its a park but really! The only thing you guys are missing is a tulip! Ross st has one. ( a tulip is shaped like one, and you sit in it and spin yourself around in it its really fun!)
Submitted by other on May 08, 2013

I love this school, the staff and teachers are amazing, it's like one big happy family, my granddaughter Elizabeth loves it. Mr. Abeal is a hands on principal who truly loves the kids and the kids love him! Thanks to all of her teachers, she was fortunate to have Mrs. Tango for 2 years and now Mr. Cousins, they have been wonderful! What a terrific school, thanks to all the staff!