Ola Edwards Community School, Hillside NJ

Original Research by School Decision on Ola Edwards Community School

Ola Edwards Community School serves students in second through sixth grade in the Hillside Public School District, a dense inner-ring suburban district in Union County. The school is one of several elementary and middle schools spread across the township rather than clustered in a single downtown, reflecting Hillside’s character as a community without a traditional Main Street. The district’s schools include early childhood, elementary, middle, and high school buildings, with Ola Edwards sitting in the middle of that progression, bridging the early elementary years and the transition to middle school.

The student body is predominantly Black and Hispanic, with smaller shares of white and Asian students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school’s enrollment is moderate for a grades two-through-six building, with fifth and sixth grades comprising the largest groups. Data on students with disabilities and English learners were not available, so a full picture of the school’s special population support remains unclear.

On state assessments, the school’s results vary notably by grade and subject. In English language arts, sixth graders posted a proficiency rate that was this school’s strongest and well above the other tested grades, while fifth graders also performed relatively well. Third and fourth graders in ELA were below those upper-grade levels. In math, fifth graders had the highest proficiency rate among the grades, while fourth and sixth graders were lower. Science, tested only in fifth grade, showed a proficiency rate that was a weak spot relative to other subjects. Compared to other districts in Union County, the school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades sits below the midpoint of the county’s districts. This positions Ola Edwards as a school where some grades and subjects, particularly upper-grade ELA and fifth-grade math, show areas of relative strength, while math in fourth and sixth grades and science in fifth grade are softer. A parent may want to look into how the school supports students in the lower-performing subjects and whether interventions are targeted by grade level.

The school serves grades that are not tested for a graduation rate, so that metric does not apply here. Similarly, data on chronic absenteeism and discipline were not available, leaving gaps in understanding the school’s attendance climate and behavioral environment. The district’s recent record does not show major changes such as curriculum overhauls, tax shifts, or referendums, though the absence of reported changes does not indicate stability or instability.

Hillside is a township with a mix of single-family homes, commercial strips along Route 22, and light industrial uses. Historically a manufacturing hub, the employment base has shifted toward logistics, retail, and public-sector jobs, with proximity to Newark Liberty International Airport and major highways contributing to that shift. Housing values in the area are moderate for Union County, and the rental market is competitive. The township has no train station but is served by several NJ Transit bus lines and is near rail stations in neighboring Union and Elizabeth. Commute times for many residents are substantial, reflecting the broader pattern of commuting out of the township for work.

For families considering Ola Edwards, the school offers a pathway through the middle elementary years into the upper elementary grades within a single building, then a transition to the district’s separate middle school. The school’s academic profile is mixed, with sixth-grade ELA standing out as a bright spot. A family focused on how the school supports students across subjects and grade levels will want to look closely at the math and science results and ask the school about specific academic interventions and enrichment. The community context is that of a compact, transit-connected inner-ring suburb with a modest housing market and a mix of residential and commercial uses, rather than a wealthy or rapidly growing area.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 340%

School 40% · District 36% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 419%

School 19% · District 27% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Grade 543%

School 43% · District 37% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 618%

School 18% · District 21% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 337%

School 37% · District 38% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 435%

School 35% · District 46% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Grade 559%

School 59% · District 61% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Grade 662%

School 62% · District 56% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Science

Grade 520%

School 20% · District 20%

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

This schoolHillside Public School District, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income29%Higher-income69%40 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income33%Higher-income40%7 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income57%Higher-income67%10 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income61%Higher-income63%2 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income37%Higher-income50%13 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income18%Higher-income25%7 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income41%Higher-income54%13 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income14%Higher-income30%16 pp gap