Bernards Township School District, NJ

Original Research by School Decision on Bernards Township School District

The Bernards Township School District, serving students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade, is a single-town district in Somerset County, New Jersey, covering Basking Ridge and a sliver of Far Hills. It operates six schools: one high school, one middle school, and four elementary schools. The district’s enrollment is a moderate-to-large size for a suburban system, and its student body is diverse in background. Roughly half of students are white, and over a third are Asian American, with Hispanic students and students of two or more races making up most of the remainder. Data on the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price meals, as well as on students with disabilities and English learners, was not available in the source materials.

Academically, this district performs at an elevated level in state assessments, with results that rank among the top quarter of all districts in Somerset County on an overall proficiency index. In elementary and middle school math, proficiency rates are very strong in grades three through seven, with large majorities of students meeting the state’s college-and-career-ready benchmark. The one clear exception is eighth-grade math, where proficiency is markedly lower; a parent may want to investigate what portion of eighth graders take Algebra I, which is tested as a high school subject rather than with the general eighth-grade assessment, as that can shift the reported rate. In English language arts, proficiency rates across grades three through eight are consistently high, reaching well into the 80s and 90s at several grade levels. Science achievement is solid in fifth grade and moderate in eighth grade.

The district’s chronic absenteeism rate is low, falling in the top quarter among county districts, which suggests good daily attendance patterns for most students. Per-pupil current spending sits in the middle range but on the upper half when compared with other Somerset County districts. The high school graduation rate was not available in the data provided.

The district has made several publicly reported changes in recent years that parents should be aware of. Full-day kindergarten was implemented in the 2023-2024 school year, replacing a half-day program, a shift that doubles instructional time for the district’s youngest students. A new K-5 literacy curriculum aligned with the science of reading framework was adopted and fully implemented in the same school year, with teacher training starting the year prior. Voters approved a capital referendum in 2022 that funded infrastructure upgrades, including HVAC work, roof and window replacements, and security improvements, across all six school buildings, with state debt service aid helping to offset costs for taxpayers. The 2024-2025 budget includes a tax levy increase within the state cap, and the district’s overall budget has grown in recent years.

Housing in the area is expensive. Home values are well above state and national medians, and rents are high. The typical home costs many times the national median household income, meaning that living in Bernards Township and paying the associated school taxes is a major financial commitment. A family considering a move here should weigh those costs against the district’s strong academic record and the range of programmatic changes that have been put into place.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

4,760

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 9%

Black 1%

White 49%

Asian 36%

Two+ 4%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr 3

—

69%

Gr 4

—

86%

Gr 5

—

92%

Gr 6

46%

86%

Gr 7

—

90%

Gr 8

40%

86%

Math

Gr 3

—

82%

Gr 4

—

87%

Gr 5

—

87%

Gr 6

46%

88%

Gr 7

—

77%

Gr 8

—

34%

Science

Gr 5

—

70%

Gr 8

20%

52%

Schools in this District

6 schools are officially reported under this district.

Mount Prospect Elementary School

Ridge High School

William Annin Middle School

Oak Street School

Liberty Corner School

Cedar Hill School

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

6 grades reported

81%

Grade 3

86%

Grade 4

87%

Grade 5

86%

Grade 6

76%

Grade 7

33%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

68%

Grade 3

86%

Grade 4

92%

Grade 5

85%

Grade 6

90%

Grade 7

84%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

69%

Grade 5

51%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$978,898

Year-over-year change+3.3%

Range across 2 ZIP codes$927K to $1.4M

vs. state typical1.71x

vs. national typical2.66x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (2 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
07920	Basking Ridge	$927K	+3.5%	89.2%
07931	Far Hills	$1.4M	+1.6%	10.3%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$3,213/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (1 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
07920	Basking Ridge	$3,213	—	89.2%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$4,940/mo

Home price / national median income11.7x

Annual rent / national median income46.0%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$1,727/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$571,373 (+3.4% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.