The top reported proficiency rate is 54% in English language arts. The lowest is 51% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Aaron Decker School
Aaron Decker School serves the youngest students in the Butler Public School District, covering prekindergarten through grade four. The school is a regular public elementary school and is the only primary school in the borough. For a parent considering this school, what matters most is that it offers a clear picture of early academic foundations in a small, densely settled community where housing is expensive and the schools are woven into the fabric of the town.
The student body is about several hundred children, with a majority of students identifying as white and just under a third identifying as Hispanic. A modest share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Special education and English learner counts were not available in the data a parent may want to ask the school directly about how it supports students with IEPs or those learning English.
On state assessments, the New Jersey Student Learning Assessment results show a mixed picture. In math, the proficiency rate for third graders was above the midpoint for all students tested, while fourth-grade math proficiency was lower. In English language arts, the pattern flipped: fourth graders performed notably stronger than third graders. Overall, the school’s combined proficiency across tested grades and subjects places it below the midpoint among districts in Morris County. The data does not include participation rates, so the coverage of testing is unclear. Because the school serves only through grade four, there is no graduation rate, no chronic absenteeism data, and no course access information for this age band.
Butler itself is a compact, historically industrial borough along the Pequannock River, now a residential community with a traditional Main Street. Its schools are not isolated on large campuses but are located within the borough’s small area, so Aaron Decker is embedded in a neighborhood context. The borough is nearly built out, limiting large-scale new development, and housing values are well above national benchmarks. A family moving here should expect a tight housing market with high prices. The district itself did not show any major recent changes in the searchable record that would affect a parent’s decision.
For a family looking at Aaron Decker, the key takeaway is that this is a standard public elementary school serving a compact, high-cost community. Academic performance on state tests varies by grade and subject, with some areas stronger than others relative to county peers. The school is not a magnet, charter, or alternative program it is the neighborhood primary school for Butler families. A parent concerned about the lower proficiency rates may want to engage with the school about instructional supports, particularly in math for older primary grades and in reading for the early primary years. The absence of data on special populations and participation rates is a gap worth exploring directly with the school.
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