The top reported proficiency rate is 72% in English language arts. The lowest is 11% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Lincoln Middle School
Lincoln Middle School serves sixth through eighth grade in Hawthorne, a compact suburban borough in Passaic County. The school is part of the Hawthorne Public School District, which includes three elementary schools and one high school. For a middle school, its enrollment is moderate, and the student body is roughly split between students who identify as Hispanic and students who identify as white, with small shares of students who are Black, Asian, or of two or more races. More than a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a share that places the school within a typical range for the area.
The school’s academic picture is uneven and worth examining by subject. On the English language arts assessments, students perform at a level that is solidly above the district’s peer median among Passaic County schools. In sixth and seventh grades, a strong majority of students score proficient; eighth-grade proficiency dips but remains at a level that would be considered a clear strength for many schools. Mathematics tells a different story. Proficiency rates fall sharply across the grade span. Sixth grade is below the halfway mark, seventh grade improves modestly, but eighth grade shows the weakest math performance, with a small share of students reaching proficiency. Science results, tested only in eighth grade, are very low. The school’s combined proficiency index across all tested subjects lands above the midpoint among Passaic County’s districts, pulled up by the strong English scores and pulled down by the math and science results. A parent may want to ask the school directly about how it supports math and science learning, especially in the upper middle grades.
The county-level comparison is the only positioning available. The district sits within Passaic County, which contains a wide range of districts; the school’s overall performance is above the midpoint in that set, but this comparison does not include districts outside the county. Chronic absenteeism and graduation rate data were not reported, which is typical for a middle school that does not serve high school grades.
The school itself is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. No Title I status was available in the data. No information on discipline rates, course access, staffing ratios, or special education and English learner populations was provided, so those dimensions of the school’s environment cannot be described here. A parent evaluating the school should follow up on those areas directly.
The broader context of Hawthorne matters for a family considering this school. Hawthorne is a small, densely built borough with a traditional street grid and a walkable core around the NJ Transit train station, which provides rail service to New York City. The borough’s housing stock includes starter homes, single-family houses, and condominiums, with a high homeownership rate. Median home values are high relative to national averages, and the population is growing modestly. The borough functions primarily as a commuter suburb; the daytime population drops substantially as residents leave for work. Local employers are limited, and retail per capita is below the state average, so the civic anchors are the library, the train station, and parks rather than a large local job base.
The Hawthorne school district has two recent developments that directly affect families with middle-school-aged children. Voters approved a district-wide facilities referendum that covers health, safety, and security upgrades, including HVAC, roofing, windows, and security vestibules, across all five schools. This means Lincoln Middle School is receiving capital improvements that may improve the physical learning environment. Additionally, starting in the 2025-2026 school year, the district will offer full-day kindergarten, a shift from a half-day program that was made possible by the referendum. This change does not affect Lincoln Middle School directly, because the school serves grades six through eight, but it signals a district-level investment in early education that may matter to families with younger children who will eventually reach the middle school.
For a family reading this, the central question is likely the mismatch between English and math performance. The school delivers strong reading and writing results that are a clear draw. The math and science results, particularly in eighth grade, are weaker and may be a concern. The school’s size and demographics are typical for the region, and the borough itself is a stable, well-established commuter suburb with relatively high housing costs and a modest growth trajectory. A family that values strong literacy instruction and wants a middle school that feeds into a single high school within the same small district may find this a good fit, especially if they are comfortable being proactive about math and science support. The facilities referendum adds a layer of physical improvement that is underway.
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