The top reported proficiency rate is 48% in English language arts. The lowest is 15% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Classical Academy Charter School of Clifton
The Classical Academy Charter School of Clifton is a single-campus charter school district serving grades five through eight. It is a public option within Passaic County, drawing students through a lottery-based admissions process. The school has expanded in recent years, adding grade five to what was previously a six-through-eight program and increasing its total enrollment. That growth gives Clifton families an additional public middle-school pathway that begins a year earlier than before.
The student body is small for a middle-school enrollment, with a modest number of students in grade five and larger cohorts in grades six through eight. The demographic mix is predominantly Hispanic, followed by White students and a notable Asian presence, with smaller numbers of Black, Native American, and multiracial students. Data on the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, receiving special education services, or classified as English learners was not reported, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about these dimensions of student support.
On state assessments, the school’s overall proficiency picture across math, English language arts, and science places it below the midpoint among Passaic County’s districts. There is variation by grade and subject. In math, proficiency rates are low in grade five, rise through grades six and seven, and then drop again in grade eight. In English language arts, grade five is also low, but performance climbs steadily, with grade eight reaching a substantially higher level. Science results are low in both grade five and grade eight. The grade five cohort is very small, so those figures carry extra volatility and should be read with caution. The overall pattern suggests that students who enter the school earlier may struggle at first but show growth in literacy skills by the time they leave for high school. The math and science numbers remain areas where families may want to look further into how the school supports those subjects.
A clear strength is the school’s low rate of chronic absenteeism. Among Passaic County’s districts, it ranks among the best, meaning the vast majority of students are present regularly. That is a meaningful indicator of a school where attendance is a priority and students are engaged enough to show up.
Per-pupil current spending is in the lower range compared to other districts in the county. That is not unusual for a charter school, which often operates with a leaner budget than traditional public districts. A parent might consider whether the school’s resource level aligns with its academic programming and student supports.
Because this is a middle-grade charter, there is no graduation rate to report. The school does not serve high school grades, so that measure does not apply. Similarly, data on course access, staffing ratios, and disciplinary patterns were not available in this profile.
The recent expansion signals a school that is growing and that Clifton families are choosing in increasing numbers. The small enrollment and lottery system mean not every family who applies will get a seat, but those who do enter a relatively tight-knit academic environment. The school’s identity as a charter with a classical focus is part of its public face, though the data here does not detail curriculum specifics. For a family weighing a middle school option in Passaic County, Classical Academy offers an alternative to the traditional district middle school, with a track record of good attendance and some improvement in literacy, while math and science proficiency will be worth a closer conversation with the school.
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