The top reported proficiency rate is 82% in English language arts. The lowest is 53% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Oak View Elementary School
Oak View Elementary School is a regular public school in the Bloomfield Township School District, serving kindergarten through sixth grade. It is one of several elementary schools feeding into the district’s middle and high schools. The school is located in a dense inner-ring suburb of Newark that has seen considerable population growth in recent years, and the township’s own materials describe historic expansion in retail, residential, and entertainment offerings. For a family considering this school, the immediate question is what kind of academic experience their child would have and what the peer environment looks like.
On academic performance, the available state assessment data for the most recent testing year presents a generally strong picture, with some variation by grade and subject. In mathematics, proficiency rates across grades three through six were consistently high, with the strongest showing in sixth grade, where nearly every tested student met the state’s standard. The fourth-grade math cohort also performed well, as did the third- and fifth-grade groups. In English language arts, the pattern was similar: third-grade scores were solid but a notch below the upper grades, while fourth and fifth graders posted very strong results, and the sixth-grade cohort achieved a perfect proficiency rate, meaning every student who took the test scored at or above the state benchmark. Science results, which are assessed only in fifth grade, were more moderate, with just over half of students scoring proficient on that assessment. This is a notable gap relative to the school’s math and ELA outcomes, and a parent with a child headed into the tested science years may want to ask how the school supports science learning in the earlier grades. Overall, the school’s performance across tested subjects placed it in the top quartile when compared to other districts within Essex County, a meaningful measure given the county contains dozens of districts with a wide range of outcomes.
The student body is modest in size for an elementary school serving these grades. Demographically, the school is majority white, with a substantial Hispanic population, followed by smaller shares of Asian, Black, and multiracial students. A very small share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is a notably low figure and may reflect the relative economic profile of the surrounding neighborhood. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the provided records, so a parent seeking information on special education services or language support programs would need to follow up directly with the school or district.
The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. Because it is a regular public school and not a magnet, charter, or alternative school, its instructional approach follows the district’s standard elementary curriculum. The Bloomfield Township School District, according to the available information, has not undergone any major structural or programmatic changes recently that were reported in public sources, so the school’s offerings are likely stable from year to year.
The housing context in Bloomfield reflects a market where home values are above the national median, and rents are also elevated relative to the country as a whole. The township has a mix of owner-occupied and rental housing, and its density supports some walkability, particularly near the train station and commercial corridors. NJ Transit rail service connects the town to New York City, which matters for commuting families. The community has several parks, including a large county park, and a historic downtown area centered along Bloomfield Avenue.
For a family trying to decide if Oak View is a fit, the evidence points to a school where most students are meeting or exceeding state expectations in math and reading by the time they reach the upper elementary grades, with science being a relative soft spot that warrants a conversation with the school. The peer group is economically homogeneous by the free-lunch measure, and the setting is a growing, transit-connected suburb. A parent whose child has specific academic needs or who is looking for robust science instruction in the early grades will want to dig deeper.
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