The top reported proficiency rate is 78% in Math. The lowest is 59% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Henry B. Milnes Elementary School
Henry B. Milnes Elementary School serves kindergarten through fourth grade in Fair Lawn, a Bergen County suburb roughly a dozen miles from midtown Manhattan. The borough is a primarily residential community with a substantial commuter population, two NJ Transit rail stations, and a mix of single-family neighborhoods and commercial corridors. The Radburn section is one of the country’s earliest planned communities, known for its separated pedestrian and vehicle paths. Fair Lawn’s population has grown steadily in recent decades, and the 2021 closure of the Nabisco bakery plant, once the borough’s largest employer, has opened a large redevelopment site along a main route.
Milnes is one of the elementary schools in the Fair Lawn Public School District. The school enrolls a few hundred students across grades K through four, making it a moderately sized primary school. Its student body is majority white, with a sizable Asian population and smaller shares of Hispanic and Black students. The share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch is relatively low, roughly one in eight. This gives the school a broadly middle- to upper-middle-income profile.
Academically, Milnes performs well on New Jersey’s state assessments. In both third and fourth grade mathematics, a substantial majority of students scored at or above the proficient level. Fourth grade English language arts results are similarly strong, with more than four-fifths of students meeting the bar. Third grade reading is a relative soft spot: about three-fifths of students were proficient, a gap that parents may want to ask the school about, particularly around early literacy support. Overall, the school’s combined proficiency across tested subjects places it in the top quarter of all districts in Bergen County, a solid indicator of academic strength for its grade span.
Because Milnes ends at fourth grade, there is no graduation rate or high school outcome data here. Science assessment results are available only from a prior year and covered fifth grade, a grade the school no longer serves, so they are not current. The available state data is limited to math and English language arts. The school does not report figures on chronic absenteeism or discipline, and information on special education and English learner populations is also absent from the record. For families considering the school, those are details worth gathering directly from the district or school office.
Housing in Fair Lawn is expensive, in line with Bergen County norms. Home values are well above the national median, and the local market shows steady demand with a relatively low inventory of listings. The borough’s high owner-occupancy rate and commuter-friendly transit connections make it a common choice for families who work in New York City. The loss of the Nabisco plant has yet to be replaced by a comparable employer, but the borough’s residential character and school system remain central draws.
Milnes is not a Title I school, and no magnet or charter designation applies. It operates as a regular public elementary school within a district that did not report any major recent changes in policy, leadership, or facilities.
This school fits families looking for a high-performing primary school in a suburban commuter town with strong academics and a relatively affluent peer environment. The weaker third grade reading results are a note to investigate further, especially for a child who may need early extra support. The absence of data on special populations and discipline means a parent should ask the school directly about how it serves students with IEPs, English learners, and those needing behavioral interventions. For the general student population, Milnes provides a strong academic start in an established, well-resourced community.
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