The top reported proficiency rate is 46% in English language arts. The lowest is 11% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Washington Middle School
Washington Middle School serves students in sixth through eighth grade in Harrison, New Jersey, a dense Hudson County town that is in the middle of a rapid transformation. The school is part of the Harrison Public Schools district, which has itself been growing meaningfully, expanding from four schools to five in recent years as enrollment has risen. Washington Middle School is a regular public school with no charter or magnet status.
The student body is diverse in composition but not equally spread across demographic groups. A large majority of students identify as Hispanic, and the remainder of the enrollment includes a small but present group of white students, a smaller group of Asian students, and a very small number of Black students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is an indicator of the economic context families are navigating. Data on the share of students with Individualized Education Programs and English learner classifications was not reported in the available records, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the structure of special education and language support services.
On state assessments, Washington Middle School’s results tell a mixed story. In English language arts, performance sits in a moderate range. In sixth grade, less than half of students scored at the proficient level, while eighth graders posted a somewhat higher proficiency rate, with roughly half of students meeting the bar. Seventh-grade ELA proficiency was lower. Across the three grades, the share of students reaching proficiency in ELA was generally similar to or somewhat below state-level patterns, though a parent would want to look more closely at the specific trends for their child’s grade.
In mathematics, the picture is weaker. In each of the three grades, less than a quarter of students scored proficient. The proficiency rate declined across grade levels, with eighth graders testing the lowest. Compared to other schools in Hudson County, Washington Middle School’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades falls in the bottom quarter of middle schools in the county. That is a soft spot worth examining. For science, which is tested in eighth grade, the proficiency rate was low: roughly one in ten students reached the proficient threshold.
Because Washington Middle School serves only grades six through eight, there is no graduation rate to report. That is expected for a middle school.
Harrison itself has changed dramatically. Once a manufacturing hub where tens of thousands of workers commuted in daily, it has seen its population rise sharply in recent years, driven by new residential construction along the Passaic River and around the PATH station. The town is extremely dense, walkable, and compact, shaped by transit and redevelopment rather than suburban sprawl. Housing in the area is expensive by national standards; rents are relatively high, and home values are near the state average, making affordability a real consideration for families. The district has grown in tandem with the town, adding a new school as enrollment climbed, which suggests the community is investing in capacity to keep up with demand.
For a family considering this school, the main points of attention are the academic performance data. The school has a strong enough cohort in ELA to produce decent proficiency in some grades, but math and science results are areas where a parent would want to ask what interventions or support structures are in place. The student body is economically diverse in a way that often correlates with the resource needs of a school, and the absence of public data on special education and English learner populations means a parent should seek that information directly from the school or district. The broader context is a growing town and district that is adding capacity, which may bring both strains and opportunities over time.
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