The top reported proficiency rate is 59% in English language arts. The lowest is 36% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Washington Elementary School
Washington Elementary is a regular public school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in West Caldwell, part of the Caldwell-West School District. It sits in a suburban township in Essex County, roughly a short drive west of Manhattan and north of Newark, in an area that is primarily residential with commercial corridors along Bloomfield Avenue. The housing market in this zip code reflects an affluent community. Home values are well above national and state benchmarks, and estimated monthly mortgage costs are high, as is the price-to-income ratio. Rents are also elevated. For a family considering this area, the financial commitment is substantial.
The school’s student body is predominantly White, with a Hispanic population making up a notable share and smaller numbers of Asian, multiracial, Black, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. The population of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch is very small, indicating that the school serves a predominantly higher-income catchment. Enrollment is spread fairly evenly across grades kindergarten through five.
On state assessments, Washington Elementary shows a mixed picture. In English language arts, proficiency rates are moderate. In math, performance is stronger, with a clear upward trajectory from the lower tested grade to the upper ones. Science results, which are tested only in fifth grade, fall below the school’s own marks in math and ELA. A parent may want to ask the school about science instruction and whether there are targeted supports for that subject. Overall, the school’s proficiency index across all subjects and tested grades sits above the midpoint compared to other districts in Essex County. This places it in the stronger half of the county’s public school districts, but not at the top.
The most notable gap in the available data is that the school does not report its rate of students with individualized education plans or its English learner count, so it is not possible to assess the size of these populations from the information provided. Discipline data and chronic absenteeism data are also absent. A parent interested in special education services or the school’s climate around attendance and behavior would need to follow up directly.
The district itself did not show any recent major changes in the available public record. The school system spans both West Caldwell and the neighboring borough of Caldwell, with elementary schools distributed across both municipalities. Washington Elementary is one of several K-5 schools in the district, and students feed into Grover Cleveland Middle School in Caldwell and then James Caldwell High School in West Caldwell. The presence of the West Essex Campus of Essex County College and West Caldwell Tech in the same town means that postsecondary options, both academic and vocational, are physically nearby even though they are not part of the district itself.
Washington Elementary is a solid suburban elementary school in a high-cost housing market. Its academic results are generally above the county median, with math being a particular strength and science an area where performance is softer. The peer environment is shaped by a very low poverty rate among families. For a family that values strong math outcomes, lives within the attendance zone, and is comfortable with the area’s housing costs, this school fits. A family with a child who needs special education services or English learner supports may want to investigate how those programs are staffed and resourced, since the data does not speak to that.
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