Tenakill Middle School, Closter NJ

Original Research by School Decision on Tenakill Middle School

Tenakill Middle School sits in Closter, a predominantly residential upper middle class suburban borough in Bergen County that transitioned from estates and farms into a commuter town. The school serves grades five through eight and is part of the Closter Public School District, a small system that also includes Hillside Elementary, which was awarded a National Blue Ribbon in 2021. High school students attend a regional district outside the borough, so Tenakill is the final stop before that transition.

The school's academic performance, measured by New Jersey's state assessments, is a clear strength. Across tested subjects and grades, overall proficiency places Tenakill in the top quarter of districts in Bergen County. In English language arts, the results are particularly strong, with most grade levels showing a very high share of students meeting or exceeding standards. Seventh graders, for instance, performed at an exceptionally high level, and eighth graders also posted strong numbers. Math proficiency is also solid across fifth, sixth, and seventh grades, though eighth grade math shows a noticeable dip compared to the earlier grades, a pattern a parent may want to explore further with the school. Science results, tested in fifth and eighth grades, are moderate, with about half of fifth graders and a somewhat larger share of eighth graders reaching proficiency.

The student body is roughly evenly split between white students and Asian students, with smaller groups of Hispanic students, multiracial students, and very small numbers of Black students and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. A very small share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of the community's affluence. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the source material, so a parent may wish to ask the school directly about those programs and supports.

Closter itself is a compact borough tucked behind the Palisades, historically giving it a sense of protection and isolation. The population has grown modestly in recent decades. The major recent development is the renovation of Closter Plaza, an outdoor mall that added a supermarket, a big-box retailer, and other stores, serving as the borough's commercial anchor. The housing market reflects the area's desirability: home values are well above state and national benchmarks, and rents are high. A short drive to Manhattan was once a selling point of the Northern Branch railroad, though current commuter rail details were not confirmed in the search results. The borough has its own police and fire departments, and a volunteer ambulance corps.

For a family evaluating Tenakill, the academic picture is strong, especially in literacy. The dip in eighth grade math is worth a conversation with the school about curriculum and support. The community is affluent and suburban, with a stable, low-turnover housing market. The absence of graduation rate data is expected, as the school does not serve high school grades, and chronic absenteeism data was not available. The school's overall proficiency standing relative to other districts in Bergen County places it among the stronger performers in the county.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 575%

School 75% · District 75%

▲ 32 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 670%

School 70% · District 70%

▲ 36 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Grade 776%

School 76% · District 76%

▲ 41 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Grade 851%

School 51% · District 51%

▲ 34 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 572%

School 72% · District 72%

▲ 18 pts above state median · even with county median

Grade 681%

School 81% · District 81%

▲ 27 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 793%

School 93% · District 93%

▲ 35 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

Grade 886%

School 86% · District 86%

▲ 28 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Science

Grade 550%

School 50% · District 50%

▲ 23 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Grade 858%

School 58% · District 58%

▲ 45 pts above state median · ▲ 31 pts above county median

This schoolCloster Public School District, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.