The top reported proficiency rate is 29% in Math. The lowest is 15% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Hazelwood Elementary School
Hazelwood Elementary School serves young learners in Middlesex, New Jersey, from pre-kindergarten through third grade, making it an entry point for families beginning their children’s formal education within the Middlesex Borough School District. Because the school stops at third grade, there is no graduation rate to report and no high school data of any kind. The academic picture comes entirely from state testing in one grade and two subjects.
On the New Jersey Student Learning Assessments administered to third graders, proficiency rates were well below the midpoint among comparable schools in the state according to a nationally standardized measure. In mathematics, just under three in ten students reached the Levels 4 or 5 threshold that the state defines as proficient. In English language arts, the share was lower, with roughly one in seven students meeting that bar. When placed against other districts in Middlesex County, Hazelwood Elementary’s overall proficiency index sits in the bottom quartile. These results give a parent a clear starting point for asking the school about its instructional strategies and how it supports early literacy and numeracy.
The school enrollment is moderate for a primary campus, with just over two hundred students spread across pre-K through third grade, the largest numbers in pre-K and first grade. The student body is predominantly White, with about a quarter identifying as Hispanic, a smaller share Black, and a modest Asian presence. About a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a measure that points to some economic diversity in the building. Data on students with disabilities and English learners were not available in the public record, so a parent may want to ask directly about special education services and multilingual support.
Housing context matters for families choosing a school. The zip code for Hazelwood Elementary shows home values above the national average and a year-over-year increase that outpaces much of the country. Rents also sit above typical national levels. The county as a whole has seen active real estate listings climb noticeably, and the median listing price in the county is in the range of many suburban New Jersey communities. For a commuter family, Middlesex itself is a small, densely built borough in the Raritan Valley, primarily residential with a traditional street grid and a local park as a civic anchor. Its population grew through the 2020 census, then edged downward slightly in a recent estimate. Specific major employers within the borough were not identified in publicly available material, and the community largely functions as a bedroom suburb within the New York metropolitan area.
No recent district-level changes were surfaced from public sources, so there is little to report about new programs, leadership shifts, or facility upgrades. The absence of information does not mean nothing is happening, just that publicly reported material did not yield evidence of changes that would affect a family’s decision. Similarly, data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, and course access were not available. For a school that serves only the earliest grades, some of those gaps are unsurprising.
Hazelwood Elementary is a small, early-primary school in a stable residential borough where housing is expensive and the academic results from the one tested grade are on the lower end compared to other districts in the county. Families who value a neighborhood school within a compact community and want to be closely involved in the early years may find it a fit. Those focused on academic outcomes should seek a direct conversation with the school about how it approaches reading and math instruction and what supports are in place for students who need extra help.
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