Frank A. Hehnly Elementary School has been a part of Clark, NJ, for many years, and its rankings show both strong and challenging times. When we compare the school to other elementary schools in New Jersey, we can see how it’s performed over the last 20 years. This helps us understand where the school has been successful and where there’s room to improve. In 2003 Hehnly was ranked 121 in the state and in the 90th percentile. In 2023 it was ranked 432 and is in the 67th percentile. Trend lines show a downward trend over the last 20 years.
Rank History for Frank K. Hehnly Elementary
| Year | Avg Standard Score | Statewide Rank | NJ State Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 84.65 | 121st | 90.0% |
| 2004 | 82.76 | 119th | 90.8% |
| 2005 | 71.57 | 425th | 67.4% |
| 2006 | 71.27 | 433rd | 67.0% |
| 2007 | 71.61 | 417th | 68.6% |
| 2008 | 61.35 | 651st | 51.3% |
| 2009 | 71.67 | 425th | 68.4% |
| 2010 | 78.44 | 254th | 81.2% |
| 2011 | 78.14 | 276th | 79.7% |
| 2012 | 76.95 | 310th | 77.3% |
| 2013 | 79.83 | 245th | 82.1% |
| 2014 | 77.76 | 299th | 78.1% |
| 2015 | 65.47 | 492nd | 63.7% |
| 2016 | 72.14 | 408th | 69.7% |
| 2017 | 62.34 | 560th | 58.6% |
| 2018 | 66.10 | 502nd | 62.9% |
| 2019 | 67.84 | 478th | 64.9% |
| 2021 | 76.38 | 274th | 79.2% |
| 2022 | 79.08 | 302nd | 77.5% |
| 2023 | 69.06 | 432nd | 67.8% |
This data comes from schooldigger.com
A Look at the Rankings Over the Years
Early Years: Strong Start, Then a Drop (2003-2006)
- 2003: Frank A. Hehnly Elementary started off very strong, ranking 121st out of 1,204 elementary schools, placing it in the 90.0 percentile. This means the school was in the top 10% of all elementary schools in New Jersey—a very strong performance.
- 2004: The school continued its excellent performance in 2004, ranking 119th out of 1,298 schools, improving slightly to the 90.8 percentile. This shows that the school maintained its top-tier standing.
- 2005-2006: However, things changed in 2005, when Hehnly’s ranking dropped significantly to 425th place out of 1,303 schools, putting it in the 67.4 percentile. In 2006, the ranking slipped further to 433rd place, with the school landing in the 67.0 percentile. This was a noticeable decline from the previous years, meaning the school was no longer in the top 10% but was still performing above average.
A Deeper Decline (2007-2009)
- 2007: The downward trend continued in 2007, with the school ranking 417th place, remaining in the 68.6 percentile. This was close to its 2006 performance but still far from its earlier peak.
- 2008: Things got worse in 2008, with Hehnly dropping to 651st place out of 1,338 schools, putting it in the 51.3 percentile. For the first time, the school’s ranking was just above average, signaling a deeper decline.
- 2009: By 2009, however, there was a bit of a recovery. The ranking improved to 425th, putting the school back in the 68.4 percentile, indicating a return to slightly above-average performance.
Bouncing Back: A Gradual Improvement (2010-2014)
- 2010: Frank A. Hehnly Elementary saw a substantial improvement in 2010, rising to 254th place out of 1,354 schools and placing in the 81.2 percentile. This was a strong comeback, with the school returning to the top 20% of elementary schools in the state.
- 2011-2013: In the next few years, the school’s rankings stayed relatively stable. In 2011, the school ranked 276th, putting it in the 79.7 percentile, and in 2013, it ranked 245th out of 1,367 schools, landing in the 82.1 percentile. These years showed that the school was firmly back in the top 20% of schools in the state.
- 2014: By 2014, Hehnly remained solid, ranking 299th, which placed it in the 78.1 percentile. Although this was a slight decline, the school continued to perform well above average.
Struggles Return (2015-2017)
- 2015: In 2015, the rankings dropped again, with Hehnly falling to 492nd place out of 1,357 schools, putting it in the 63.7 percentile. This was another significant decline, taking the school out of the top 20%.
- 2016: The ranking improved a bit in 2016, rising to 408th place with a 69.7 percentile ranking. This was a return to an above-average performance.
- 2017: However, in 2017, the school faced another drop, falling to 560th place out of 1,352 schools, with a 58.6 percentile rank. This was one of the lower points for Hehnly during this period, showing that the school was struggling to maintain its previous level of success.
Recent Performance: A Mix of Success and Challenges (2018-2023)
- 2018-2019: In 2018, the school improved again, ranking 502nd and reaching the 62.9 percentile. By 2019, Hehnly’s ranking rose to 478th place, putting it in the 64.9 percentile. Although these rankings were not as high as in the early 2010s, they showed that the school was maintaining an above-average performance.
- 2021: After a challenging few years, Hehnly experienced a strong improvement in 2021, climbing to 274th place out of 1,317 schools, placing it in the 79.2 percentile. This return to the top 20% was a positive sign that the school was getting back on track.
- 2022-2023: In 2022, the ranking was 302nd, which placed the school in the 77.5 percentile. But in 2023, Hehnly dropped to 432nd, placing it in the 67.8 percentile. While still above average, this drop shows that there is room for improvement.
Looking at the data, we can see that Frank A. Hehnly Elementary has gone through periods of strong performance and periods of struggle. The school performed exceptionally well in the early 2000s but faced significant drops from 2005 to 2009. After a bounce-back in the early 2010s, the school faced more challenges in the middle of the decade but recovered in 2021. However, the recent drop in 2023 shows that maintaining high performance is still a challenge.
