The top reported proficiency rate is 67% in English language arts. The lowest is 32% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Frank K. Hehnly
Frank K. Hehnly is a regular public elementary school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in Clark, a primarily residential suburban township in southern Union County, New Jersey. It is one of two K-5 schools in the Clark Township Public School District, which also includes a preschool, a middle school, and a high school. The school is located on Raritan Road, set on a campus separated from the municipal center, as is typical of Clark’s distributed school layout.
On state assessments, Frank K. Hehnly’s students perform well in several areas, placing the school’s overall proficiency above the midpoint among districts in Union County. In mathematics, fourth graders show strong results, while third and fifth graders post solid but somewhat lower rates. In English language arts, fourth and fifth graders demonstrate very strong proficiency, whereas third-grade reading lags notably behind the other two grades. In fifth-grade science, the share of students reaching proficiency is modest, a result a parent may want to discuss with the school to understand the curriculum and supports in that subject. Because the school does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate or college-readiness data to evaluate.
The student body is relatively small for its grade band and is overwhelmingly white, with a smaller but visible Hispanic population and traces of Asian and Black students. The share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch is very low, placing the school in an affluent demographic context. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the records examined.
The school’s community, Clark, is often described as a value proposition in Union County: more affordable than nearby towns like Westfield and Cranford, with a mix of single-family homes, small commercial strips, and remnant industrial parcels. The Rahway River Parkway runs through the township, and the Robinson’s Branch Reservoir, the largest body of water in the county, bisects it diagonally. Clark’s population grew modestly through 2020 but has since seen a slight decline, and its ranking in a statewide “best places to live” list has dropped significantly in recent years. Housing values in the zip code are above the national median, and the local market shows a limited supply with modest demand, typical of an established suburb where inventory is tight and homes move relatively quickly. The township is car-dependent, with no distinct walkable downtown; municipal and school facilities are spread across separate sites.
The district itself reported no major recent changes such as referendums, curriculum shifts, or capital projects in publicly available records. The lack of such news suggests a period of stability, though parents may want to confirm directly with the district whether any long-range facility or program plans are under development.
Taken together, Frank K. Hehnly offers a solid academic foundation for most of its elementary grades, with standout results in fourth-grade math and fourth- and fifth-grade reading. The lower third-grade reading and fifth-grade science scores are the main points to probe further. The school serves a largely homogenous and economically comfortable population, which shapes the peer environment. For families moving to Clark seeking a suburban, car-dependent setting with relatively affordable housing by county standards, Hehnly is the neighborhood elementary school for a portion of the township. Those who value socioeconomic diversity or a more urban, walkable school setting would find a different fit.
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