Harrison Elementary School, Livingston NJ

Original Research by School Decision on Harrison Elementary School

Harrison Elementary School serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Livingston, a high-income suburban township in Essex County. It is one of six elementary schools in the Livingston Board of Education School District. The school’s academic profile, based on state assessments, places it firmly among the strongest in its county. Across tested grades in math and English language arts, the share of students scoring proficient or above was well into the eighties and high eighties. Science results for fifth graders were also solid. When measured against all other districts in Essex County, Harrison’s overall proficiency index lands in the top quartile. For a family considering this school, the evidence points to a reliably strong academic foundation through the elementary years.

The student body is relatively large for an elementary school. The composition is notably diverse: the largest group is Asian students, followed by White students, with smaller shares of two or more races, Hispanic, Black, and American Indian or Alaska Native students. The share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch is extremely low, consistent with the affluence of the surrounding community. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not included in the available records, so a parent wanting to understand how the school serves those populations would need to inquire directly with the school or district.

Harrison sits in Livingston, a predominantly residential township about an hour from New York City. The community is car-dependent, with limited walkability and schools set on separate campuses within residential neighborhoods rather than clustered in a downtown. The population is among the highest-income in New Jersey, with a large Asian and Jewish presence. Housing values and rents are very high, and the market has shown continued appreciation. For families moving to the area, the cost of entry is substantial.

The district itself has been responsive to demand from families with young children. Voters recently approved a referendum to expand full-day kindergarten at the elementary schools, with construction expected to be complete for the 2026-27 school year. The district also adopted a budget reflecting a modest tax levy increase and growth in state aid. These are practical signals that the community invests in its schools, but they also mean a higher property tax burden for homeowners.

Because Harrison serves only early elementary grades, there is no graduation rate or secondary-level program data to consider. The school’s academic results are the central measure of its performance, and those results are strong across the board. A parent looking at this school will find a high-performing academic environment in an affluent, diverse suburb with a district that has invested in expanding its early childhood offerings. The main considerations are the cost of living and the school’s capacity to support students with specialized needs, an area where the available data is thin enough that a direct conversation with the school would be worthwhile.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 377%

School 77% · District 82% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▲ 27 pts above state median · ▲ 38 pts above county median

Grade 488%

School 88% · District 82% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 43 pts above state median · ▲ 50 pts above county median

Grade 589%

School 89% · District 80% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 46 pts above state median · ▲ 57 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 382%

School 82% · District 81% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 37 pts above state median · ▲ 41 pts above county median

Grade 489%

School 89% · District 85% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 34 pts above state median · ▲ 37 pts above county median

Grade 589%

School 89% · District 85% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 35 pts above state median · ▲ 41 pts above county median

Science

Grade 573%

School 73% · District 65% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 46 pts above state median · ▲ 56 pts above county median

This schoolLivingston Board of Education 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.