Original Research by School Decision on Martha B. Day Elementary School
Martha B. Day Elementary School is the gateway school for Bloomingdale, a residential borough in Passaic County that sits about an hour’s drive from New York City. The school serves only pre-kindergarten through first grade, a narrow grade span that means it is purely an early childhood entry point. No state testing data exist for this school because the grades it serves are not tested, and no graduation rate applies. For families evaluating this school, the story is about the foundation it provides before children move on to Samuel R. Donald Elementary (grades 2–4) and then Walter T. Bergen Middle School (grades 5–8). High school students attend Butler High School in neighboring Morris County through a longstanding sending-receiving arrangement, so the full academic pathway extends beyond the Bloomingdale district itself.
The most consequential recent change for this school is the permanent launch of full-day kindergarten at Martha B. Day in fall 2024. Previous referendums to fund full-day kindergarten were rejected by voters, but the district eventually secured state grants and budget funding to make it happen without a separate ballot question. For parents weighing the district, this is a meaningful shift: full-day versus half-day kindergarten affects both early learning time and daily childcare logistics. The school now offers a full day from pre-K through first grade, which is a strong base for the youngest students.
Enrollment at Martha B. Day is about two hundred students. The student body is predominantly White, with a substantial Hispanic presence and smaller shares of Asian, Black, and multiracial students. About a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is a moderate level of economic need. Information on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the data we reviewed, so families with specific support questions should contact the school directly to understand what services are in place.
Bloomingdale itself is a low-density suburban borough with a handful of membership lake communities—Glen Wild Lake, Lake Iosco, Kampfe Lake, and Morse Lakes—that give the town a recreational, seasonal character. The commercial corridor runs along the Paterson-Hamburg Turnpike, but there is no traditional walkable downtown. Most errands require a car. The borough’s population has been fairly stable over recent decades, with a modest recent decline. Housing values in the area sit at a level that is above the national benchmark, reflecting the borough’s position as a commuter suburb. The local housing market shows a low supply and moderate demand, with homes typically selling within several weeks.
The district itself is small, with only three schools. Martha B. Day is housed on Rafkind Road, away from the main commercial strip. The school’s early-grade focus means class sizes are likely modest, and the environment is tailored to very young children. Because the school covers only three grades, children will need to transition to a new building by second grade, and again for middle school, and again for high school. That is a consideration for families who prefer a school that keeps students in the same building for more years.
There are no test scores to consult, no chronic absenteeism data, and no disciplinary metrics to review. What is available is a clear picture of a small, early-elementary school in a stable, auto-oriented suburb where full-day kindergarten is now the norm. For parents looking for a straightforward beginning for their child within a district that sends its older students to a neighboring high school, Martha B. Day Elementary offers a defined starting point. The missing pieces—special education and English learner counts, staffing ratios, and any program offerings beyond the basic early curriculum—are gaps that a family would want to explore directly with the school or the district office.
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