The top reported proficiency rate is 63% in English language arts. The lowest is 30% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on School #5
School #5 is one of four elementary buildings in the Cliffside Park School District, serving pre-kindergarten through fourth grade. It is a regular public school embedded in the borough’s residential fabric, not a magnet or charter. The enrollment is small for a school that covers PK-4, with a pre-K cohort that accounts for more than a third of the student body, meaning the school functions partly as an early-childhood center for the community. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, followed by a substantial White population, a modest Asian share, and a very small number of Black students. About half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a measure that aligns with the district’s property-tax base after a 2022 revaluation that lowered the rate; a parent considering the school will encounter a mix of backgrounds shaped by the borough’s high-density, transit-oriented character.
On the New Jersey Student Learning Assessments, the most recent available results for the 2024-25 school year show a pattern that shifts by grade and subject. In both third and fourth grades, the proficiency rate in mathematics rises from one year to the next, and the same upward trend appears in English language arts, where the fourth-grade outcome is noticeably stronger than the third. Still, the school’s overall proficiency index across tested subjects and grades sits below the midpoint when compared to districts across Bergen County. A parent moving to the area may want to discuss with the school how these results fit into the district’s curriculum and what growth the school targets for its youngest students. The only science data is from several years ago, and the assessment and cut scores changed after that year, so it is not a reliable current picture.
Because School #5 stops at fourth grade, there is no graduation rate, no chronic absenteeism data, and no information on advanced coursework or career pathways. Those measures simply do not apply at this grade band. The district does not report special-education or English-learner counts for this school in the available data, so a family whose child receives services should confirm directly with the school how those programs are staffed and integrated.
Cliffside Park itself is a densely packed, primarily residential borough perched on the Hudson Palisades, about one square mile in area. Anderson Avenue is the commercial spine, lined with stores and restaurants that reflect a range of cuisines. The borough’s population is among the highest density in New Jersey, and many residents commute into New York City via bus or the George Washington Bridge. This density means that schools are within walking distance for many families, and the compact layout gives School #5 a neighborhood feel. Housing values are above the national benchmark, with typical home prices around the county median and rents that consume a notable share of income. The district underwent a property tax revaluation that took effect in 2022, lowering the per-assessed-value rate, which may modestly offset the high cost of living for homeowners.
For a family choosing an elementary school in Cliffside Park, School #5 offers a program that begins in pre-K and runs through fourth grade, with a diverse, economically mixed student body. The academic results are below the county median, particularly in the earlier tested grades, but fourth-grade outcomes are stronger. The school sits within a dense, commuter-oriented borough where the cost of housing is high and space is limited. Because the data does not include information on pre-K curriculum, class sizes, or enrichment offerings, a parent would do well to visit and ask about those details directly.
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