The top reported proficiency rate is 40% in English language arts. The lowest is 30% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Fairmount
Fairmount is a regular public elementary school in Hackensack, serving students from pre-kindergarten through fourth grade. It is one of several elementary schools in the Hackensack School District.
Hackensack itself is a dense, diverse small city that functions as both the county seat of Bergen County and an inner suburb of New York City, roughly a dozen miles northwest of Midtown Manhattan. Its built environment is a tight mix: a residential high-rise corridor along Prospect Avenue, older single-family neighborhoods, garden apartments, industrial zones, office buildings, the Bergen County Court House and county government complex, the large Hackensack University Medical Center campus, and a walkable downtown district with small neighborhood business districts scattered through the city. Two NJ Transit train stations and a downtown bus transfer station provide frequent transit connections into New York. The city’s population reached its highest decennial count ever in the 2020 census, and its motto “A City in Motion” reflects a sense of ongoing redevelopment and infill.
Fairmount draws its student body from this city. The school enrolls several hundred children, making it moderate in size for an elementary school. About half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of the economic diversity in the community. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, followed by a substantial share of Black students and a smaller but present share of White students, with small numbers of Asian, multiracial, and Native American students. Data on the share of students with disabilities or who are English learners was not available in the source information, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those supports.
On the most recent state assessments, Fairmount’s overall proficiency across tested grades and subjects placed it in the bottom quarter among districts in Bergen County. In grade three, fewer than two in five students met the state’s proficiency standard in both math and English language arts. In grade four, reading results were higher, with roughly two in five students reaching proficiency, while math remained lower, at under one in four. These numbers represent a single point in time and do not capture individual student growth or classroom progress, but they do give a sense of where the school stands relative to its region. Because the school only serves through fourth grade, there are no graduation rate or postsecondary outcomes associated with it. Chronic absenteeism data was also missing from the available records, so it is unclear how attendance patterns affect the school.
The school environment and access data set was largely empty: no information on discipline rates, course access, staffing ratios, or Title I status was provided. A parent looking into Fairmount would want to follow up with the district or the school office for details on class sizes, enrichment offerings, and supports for students who need extra help. The district brief turned up no recent parent-relevant changes, so there is no major policy or facility shift to report.
Fairmount sits in a community with strong civic anchors—county government, a major medical center, a university campus, parks, and train service—and a real estate market that reflects the high demand of Bergen County. Housing values in the area are well above national medians, and the rental market is similarly elevated, consistent with the inner-suburban location near New York City. For a family considering this school, the immediate question is how Fairmount’s academic profile matches their expectations for early elementary learning, and what additional information the school can provide about its day-to-day instructional environment.
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