Original Research by School Decision on George Washington School
George Washington School serves Edgewater’s youngest students, from preschool through second grade, in a single building on Undercliff Avenue. With an enrollment that is relatively small for the early elementary range, the school functions as the entry point for the borough’s public school system before children move on to the district’s upper-grade buildings.
The student body at George Washington reflects Edgewater’s demographic makeup. Families will find a school population where just over half of the children are Asian, about a quarter are white, and a smaller share are Hispanic, with Black students and multiracial students making up the remainder. A modest share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a figure that sits well below the typical district rate in Bergen County. Data on the share of students with Individualized Education Programs or English learner status was not available in the source material, so families who need information on special education services or language support should confirm those resources directly with the school.
Because George Washington School only serves grades PK through 2, the typical academic performance measures that apply to tested grades, such as state proficiency results and graduation rates, are not relevant here and were not reported. The school’s academic approach is shaped by its role as an early childhood and primary center. Families evaluating the school will want to understand the curriculum for the youngest learners and how the school prepares children for the transition into the district’s upper elementary grades.
In terms of peer environment, the school is one of several public schools in Edgewater, a densely populated Hudson River borough that has experienced rapid residential growth over recent decades as its industrial past gave way to new housing and a commuter-oriented community. Edgewater’s housing market reflects that desirability, with home values well above the national median and rents that are high relative to incomes, typical of this part of Bergen County. The borough does not have a traditional downtown; instead, civic life and schools are integrated along the River Road corridor. The setting is urban and compact, with the Palisades cliffs forming a natural western boundary and the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway providing pedestrian access along the river.
For families considering the Edgewater School District, a notable change is the board of education’s approval of full-day kindergarten beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, shifting from the previous half-day program. This gives incoming kindergarteners substantially more instructional time and was a change parents in the district had sought. Since George Washington School includes kindergarten, this development directly affects families entering the school system.
Because the school’s grade span is limited to the early years, the data that typically helps parents evaluate a school’s academic trajectory, such as test scores and graduation rates, simply does not apply. What is available shows a school with a diverse student body in a growing, high-cost community along the Hudson. Parents will want to learn about the early literacy and math instruction, the preschool program, and how the district structures the progression from George Washington into the later grades. The absence of special population data means that families with children who may need support services should ask those questions directly. The full-day kindergarten expansion is a meaningful recent shift that will shape the experience for new families entering the district.
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