The top reported proficiency rate is 70% in English language arts. The lowest is 19% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Maria L. Varisco-rogers Charter School
Maria L. Varisco-Rogers Charter School serves students from kindergarten through eighth grade as a single-school charter district in Essex County, New Jersey. Because it is a charter school, families choose it rather than being assigned by attendance zone. The school has a moderate enrollment for a K-8 building, and its student body is heavily Hispanic, with a very small number of students from other racial and ethnic backgrounds. Information on economic disadvantage, students with disabilities, and English learner status was not available in the data, so a parent would want to ask the school directly about the types of supports offered.
Academically, the school presents a clear split between subjects. In English language arts, results are strong across the tested grades. A solid majority of students in every grade from three through eight met the state’s proficiency bar, and in grade four the share was notably high. This suggests that the school’s literacy instruction and reading programs are working well for most students. In math, the picture is more uneven. In grade three, a comfortable majority met the standard, but proficiency drops substantially in grade four and remains in a modest range through grades five and six. By grade seven, the share of students reaching proficiency is much lower, and in grade eight no students met the proficient level. Science results are also low: in grade five only a small share met the bar, and in grade eight the proficient share is very small. The overall proficiency index across all tested subjects and grades places the school below the midpoint among Essex County districts. This composite masks the fact that ELA is a genuine strength while math and science need attention. A parent considering Varisco-Rogers would want to ask specifically about math intervention and curriculum, especially for the upper elementary and middle school grades, and about science instruction.
On non-academic measures, the school’s chronic absenteeism rate is better than the midpoint among county districts, meaning students are attending school at a relatively consistent rate. Per-pupil spending is in the lower range of Essex County districts; this may reflect the charter school’s funding model, but the data does not indicate whether this translates to resource constraints in the classroom.
Because the school ends at eighth grade, there is no high school graduation rate to report. Families will need to plan for the transition to a high school after eighth grade, whether to a traditional district school, another charter, or a private option. No recent major changes or initiatives at the school were found in publicly available material, so the program appears to be stable from a policy perspective.
For a parent weighing this school, the core trade-off is between a strong literacy program and a math and science record that has significant soft spots. The school’s demographics mean a child will be in a predominantly Hispanic peer environment. The moderate enrollment and charter setting may offer a more cohesive community than a larger traditional school. A parent whose child excels in reading and writing may find the school a comfortable fit, while a parent whose child needs strong math and science support may want to investigate those areas thoroughly before enrolling.
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