The top reported proficiency rate is 55% in English language arts. The lowest is 53% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Adlai E. Stevenson School
Adlai E. Stevenson School serves young children in Fairfield, New Jersey, from pre-kindergarten through second grade. Because it covers only the earliest grades, there are no graduation rates or advanced course offerings to consider. The school’s purpose is focused: provide a foundation in literacy and numeracy before students move on to upper elementary grades elsewhere in the Fairfield Public School District.
The school sits in Fairfield Township, a low-density suburban community in northwestern Essex County. Interstate 80 and Route 46 bisect the township, giving it a highway-oriented character. Fairfield is the least densely populated municipality in Essex County, blending residential neighborhoods with commercial and industrial corridors. Major employers have included Telebrands, a direct marketing firm, and Cricket Hill microbrewery. The area is car-dependent, with no traditional walkable downtown; civic buildings and schools are dispersed. Housing values are elevated relative to national benchmarks, and the community has seen steady population growth. A recent municipal plan outlined a major investment in recreational turf and lighting upgrades, signaling continued local investment.
Stevenson enrolls a modest number of students across pre-K, kindergarten, first, and second grades. The student body is predominantly white, with small shares of Hispanic and Asian students. A very small share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, suggesting a generally affluent population. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the records reviewed.
State testing in New Jersey begins in third grade, so for a school that ends at second grade, the only test results available come from the limited overlap where third graders may have been tested after leaving Stevenson. The data shows that for the most recent testing year, third graders who had attended Stevenson posted proficiency rates in math and English language arts that landed slightly above the midpoint among districts in Essex County. The school’s participation rate was high. A parent should note that these results reflect students who have moved on, not current Stevenson students, but they offer a broad signal about the academic preparation the school provides.
The district brief turned up no major recent changes or strategic initiatives publicly reported. The Fairfield Public School District, which runs Stevenson and the upper-grade schools, appears to be in a stable period without headline-grabbing shifts in leadership, boundaries, or programming.
For a parent evaluating this school, the most important takeaway is the grade span. Stevenson is an early elementary building. Children will need to transition to another school for third grade and beyond. The community is affluent and suburban, with high housing costs and a car-dependent layout. The academic signal, while limited by the testing gap, suggests that students coming out of Stevenson are generally well-prepared compared to peers across the county. Families looking for a small, neighborhood-oriented start to their child’s schooling in a stable, well-resourced community will find a straightforward fit here. There is no pretense of breadth or specialization; it is a plain early elementary school doing what that job requires.
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