To the Editor:

Princeton Public Schools’ administrators reported last week that the actual numbers based on the NJSLA and ACT, SAT, and AP tests indicate that students were doing well despite the pandemic [“PPS Test Scores Remain Strong Despite U.S. Drops,” page 1, October 26], and noted, “We see numbers trending in a positive direction with a few exceptions.”

This is great news, especially taking into account the unique student population in Princeton. Success means helping ALL students thrive. Approximately 13 percent of Princeton students receive free or reduced lunch, compared with 5 percent in West Windsor-Plainsboro and 4 percent in Montgomery. In Montgomery, the racial demographic distribution is 52.8 percent Asian, 34.7 percent White, and 6.3 percent Hispanic. In West Windsor-Plainsboro, the distribution is even greater, with 71.4 percent Asian, 16.4 percent White, 5 percent African American, and 4.8 percent Hispanic. For PPS, the numbers are dramatically different, with 48.6 percent White, 6 percent Black, 21.4 percent Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander, and 15.8 percent Hispanic. 

The challenges for PPS are great and the test results indicate that the district is doing a fine job in dealing with such challenges. Our neighboring districts do not have comparable challenges and, as such, can report performance data which is very different. 

Judith Pollack Meyer
Mount Lucas Road