The top reported proficiency rate is 39% in English language arts. The lowest is 19% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Hamilton Intermediate School
Hamilton Intermediate School serves just two grades in Harrison, a dense Hudson County town that is remaking itself from a historic industrial center into a transit-oriented residential community. The school is a product of that growth. The Harrison Public Schools district expanded from four schools to five in recent years, adding Hamilton Intermediate as a dedicated building for fourth and fifth graders as overall enrollment climbed. For families in the district, the school represents a distinct two-year stop between elementary and middle school, housed in its own building rather than sharing space with younger or older students.
The student body reflects the community it serves. A large majority of students identify as Hispanic, with smaller shares of white and Asian students. More than four out of five students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a substantial share that places the school in a high-poverty bracket. State data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the materials reviewed, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about how it supports those populations.
On state assessments, Hamilton Intermediate shows a mixed picture. In fourth-grade English language arts, roughly two out of five students scored at or above the proficient level. In fifth-grade ELA, the share was slightly lower, also around two in five. Math proficiency was weaker in fourth grade, where fewer than a third of students met the bar, and stronger in fifth grade, where about two out of five did. Fifth-grade science results were lower, with roughly one in five students scoring proficient. Compared with other schools in the Hudson County landscape, Hamilton Intermediate's combined proficiency across subjects and grades sits below the midpoint of the county's districts, a position families may want to explore further with the school to understand local context and instructional priorities.
Because the school serves only fourth and fifth grades, it has no graduation rate, no chronic absenteeism data surfaced in the materials, and no high school course access to report. Those gaps are not weaknesses; they are simply outside this school's scope.
The community context matters for any family considering Hamilton Intermediate. Harrison is a compact town of high density, roughly a few square miles, that has seen rapid population growth over the past two decades. The Harrison Waterfront Redevelopment Plan is reshaping large portions of the town, with new mid-rise residential construction concentrated near the PATH station and along the Passaic River. That station provides direct transit to Newark, Jersey City, Hoboken, and New York City, making Harrison a commuter-connected town. Sports Illustrated Stadium, home to professional soccer teams, sits adjacent to the river and the station, adding a major entertainment anchor right in town. Housing in the area carries a value roughly in line with New Jersey's statewide benchmark, and rents have been relatively stable.
The district's growth from roughly four schools to five, and from a smaller enrollment to a larger one, means that Hamilton Intermediate is part of a system still adjusting to its own expansion. Class sizes, facility use, and the overall grade configuration families experience have shifted in recent years. A parent moving into Harrison or choosing the district should expect a school that is urban in setting, majority Hispanic and high-poverty in demographics, and below the county midpoint in test performance, operating within a town that is actively redeveloping and growing.
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