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Surf City, NJ municipal complex, Dec. 2024Photo: Mr. Matté (if there is an issue with this image, contact me using this image's Commons talk page, my Commons user talk page, or my English Wikipedia user talk page; I'll know about it a lot faster) · CC BY-SA 4.0
C+
Schools in Surf City · Long Beach Island School District, Southern Regional School District

Surf City’s public schools score below 57% of New Jersey districts on tests and graduation

The grade covers the two public school districts serving Surf City, from kindergarten through graduation, on state tests and graduation. Each state writes its own tests, so this is the one TownRatings grade compared within New Jersey, not nationally.

K–12Where will my kid go?

From New Jersey state tests taken in spring 2022, when 97% of students in the tested grades sat them, and the class of 2023’s four-year graduation rate, as reported to the U.S. Department of Education.

Reading proficiency
46%
▼ 2 pts vs NJ 49%
2021–22
Math proficiency
36%
▲ 1 pts vs NJ 36%
2021–22
Graduate on time
89%
▼ 2 pts vs NJ 90%
class of 2023
Spent per student
$28.3K
▼ 1% vs NJ $28.4K
FY2024 · Southern Regional
Students per teacher
11.1
NJ 11.6 · smaller classes
Schools in town
1
2,881 students on the public path
In brief

Surf City’s schools, in brief

Surf City runs its own schools through grade 6, then shares

Ethel A. Jacobsen Elementary School (PK–2) and Long Beach Island Grade School (3–6) are Surf City’s own. From grade 7, students attend the Southern Regional School District with Barnegat Light, Beach Haven, Harvey Cedars, Long Beach, Ship Bottom and Stafford: Southern Regional Middle School in Manahawkin, then Southern Regional High School in Manahawkin. The high school’s own results earn a B−, the highest on the path; the middle school earns a B−. See the path ↓

Above the state in math, below in reading

Reading proficiency is 46% and math 36% across both districts in spring 2022, against 49% and 36% statewide; 89% of the class of 2023 graduated in four years, against 90%. Test scores ↓

Spending and class size

Long Beach Island spends $49,241 per student and Southern Regional $28,252, against $28,441 across New Jersey (FY2024). Neither counts toward the grade. Districts ↓

Written from the figures on this page. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023; each school’s own letter uses 2020–21 results.

The School Grade

What’s behind Surf City’s grade

B− Test scoresC Graduation

C+: better than 43% of New Jersey school districts. Both inputs trail the New Jersey average; test scores are the closer of the two to typical.

New Jersey school districts we grade (651)Better than 43%
Lower resultsHigher results
New Jersey towns with similar household incomes (454)Better than 41%
CB−A fairly firm grade. Ordinary sampling error in 1,464 test results and a graduating class of 494 could put Surf City anywhere from C to B−. The tests are from spring 2022, when 97% of Surf City’s students in the tested grades sat them (1,467 in math, 1,462 in reading).

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where will my kid go?

Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Surf City, with each school’s own grade.

The path, start to finish
PK–2Ethel A. Jacobsen Elementary SchoolLong Beach Island School DistrictNo scores
3–6Long Beach Island Grade Schoolin Ship BottomB−
7–8Southern Regional Middle Schoolin ManahawkinB−
9–12Southern Regional High Schoolin ManahawkinB−

Surf City runs its own schools through grade 6 (Long Beach Island School District). From grade 7, students attend the Southern Regional School District, shared with Barnegat Light, Beach Haven, Harvey Cedars, Long Beach, Ship Bottom and Stafford. Its school is in Ship Bottom. To confirm the school for a specific address, ask the district.

Two districts serve Surf City

Spending and class size are shown but don’t count toward the grade. Each district’s own page has every school.

Long Beach Island School DistrictGrades PK–6 · 2 schools · 196 students, down 8% since 2020–21 · 6.5 per teacher (NJ 11.6)
$49,241NJ $28,441 · FY2024
B−
Southern Regional School DistrictGrades 7–12 · 2 schools · 2,685 students, down 7% since 2020–21 · 11.6 per teacher (NJ 11.6)
$28,252NJ $28,441 · FY2024
C+
Test scores · 2021–22

Below the state in reading

Reading · PK–6, Long Beach Island School District52%
State average 48.6% · 100 students tested
Math · PK–6, Long Beach Island School District42%
State average 35.5% · 100 students tested
Reading · 7–12, Southern Regional School District46%
State average 48.6% · 1362 students tested
Math · 7–12, Southern Regional School District36%
State average 35.5% · 1367 students tested

Surf City vs. its neighbors

Schools grades for the New Jersey towns that share Surf City’s borders.

Schools next door
TownSchoolsMain districts
Surf CityC+Long Beach Island PK–6 · Southern Regional 7–12
StaffordB−Stafford Township PK–6 · Southern Regional 7–12
Long BeachC+Long Beach Island PK–6 · Southern Regional 7–12
Ship BottomC+Long Beach Island PK–6 · Southern Regional 7–12

All 3 neighbors share Southern Regional with Surf City for grades 7–12, so their letters differ mainly through the lower grades.

Every school in Surf City

4 schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with New Jersey’s other public schools (the newest school-level results we have).

District schools in Surf Cityby address
Ethel A. Jacobsen Elementary School
Elementary · Grades PK–2
104 students8:1Rate it →
Also serving Surf Cityin other towns
Long Beach Island Grade School
Elementary · Grades 3–6 · Ship Bottom
B−
92 students6:1Rate it →
Southern Regional Middle School
Middle · Grades 7–8 · Manahawkin
B−
865 students11:1Rate it →
Southern Regional High School
High · Grades 9–12 · Manahawkin
B−
1,820 students12:1Rate it →

Questions about Surf City’s schools

Are Surf City’s schools good?

On New Jersey’s tests they score below most of the state: the public schools Surf City children attend score below 57% of New Jersey’s school districts on tests and graduation, a C+ Schools grade. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 41%. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023.

What school district is Surf City in?

Two districts: Long Beach Island School District runs grades PK–6, and Southern Regional School District runs grades 7–12, shared with Barnegat Light, Beach Haven, Harvey Cedars, Long Beach, Ship Bottom and Stafford.

Where do Surf City kids go to high school?

Southern Regional High School in Manahawkin, with 1,820 students; its own test results earn a B−.

What is Surf City’s graduation rate?

89% of the class of 2023 in Southern Regional School District graduated in four years, against 90% across New Jersey.

How much does Surf City spend per student?

$49,241 in Long Beach Island School District and $28,252 in Southern Regional School District (FY2024), against $28,441 across New Jersey. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.

Parents talk

What Surf City families are saying about school.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Looking for colleges? Colleges near Surf City → They have their own page.

School data: state test results (2021–22, with participation) and four-year graduation rates (class of 2023) reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express); each school’s own letter uses its 2020–21 results (EDFacts via the Urban Institute); schools and enrollment from NCES (2024–25; private schools 2023–24); spending from the Census Bureau’s school finance survey (FY2024). The School Grade is our own summary, graded within New Jersey. Stars are from neighbors.