The top reported proficiency rate is 69% in English language arts. The lowest is 32% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Berkley Street School
Berkley Street School is one of two elementary schools in the New Milford Public School District, serving students from prekindergarten through fifth grade. The school sits in a densely built, primarily residential Bergen County borough that is fully urban in character. New Milford packs a substantial population into a small land area, creating a compact street grid with local commercial corridors and a mix of housing types. The Hackensack River runs through the borough, and historic New Bridge Landing, a Revolutionary War site, sits at the edge of town. NJ Transit bus service and the Pascack Valley Line rail line, with a station at New Bridge Landing, connect the borough to Hoboken and other points. The population has been relatively stable in recent decades, with a slight decline in the most recent estimate.
Berkley Street School is a regular public elementary school, one of two K-5 buildings in the district. The student body is diverse. White students make up the largest share, followed by Hispanic students, Asian students, and Black students, with small numbers of Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and multiracial students. A modest share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school serves prekindergarten through fifth grade, and enrollment is distributed fairly evenly across the elementary grades.
On state assessments, the school shows a pattern of stronger performance in English language arts than in math, with science results notably lower. In third grade, roughly half of students met the state's proficiency bar in both reading and math. By fourth grade, a large majority of students scored proficient in English language arts, while math proficiency was solidly above half. Fifth grade reading remained strong, with a substantial majority proficient, while math proficiency was around the midpoint. Science results for fifth graders were lower, with about a third of students meeting the state's science proficiency standard. The school's overall proficiency index, which averages results across tested subjects and grades, sits below the midpoint when compared with other districts in Bergen County. A parent may want to ask the school about the science curriculum and how it prepares students for that assessment.
The school serves prekindergarten through fifth grade, so there is no graduation rate to report. State testing data for the youngest grades is not available because those grades are not tested. The school does not serve high school grades, so course access data such as Advanced Placement or dual-credit offerings does not apply here.
The student body is diverse across racial and ethnic lines, with no single group forming a majority. White students are the largest group, followed by Hispanic, Asian, and Black students, with a very small number of Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and multiracial students. About a fifth of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a measure of economic need that is relatively modest for a Bergen County elementary school. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the provided records.
The school sits within the New Milford Public School District, which operates four schools across the borough. The district's schools are spread across separate sites rather than clustered on one campus. No recent parent-relevant changes, such as boundary shifts, program launches, or leadership turnover, were identified in publicly available records. A long-range facilities plan amendment was approved in 2022, but it was a procedural matter without concrete impact on families.
Housing in the area carries a premium. Home values in the zip code are well above the national benchmark and sit above the state median, reflecting the broader Bergen County market. Rents are also high. The county's housing market has been active, with a notable increase in active listings and new listings compared to the prior year, though median listing prices have held relatively steady. For families considering a move to the district, the cost of entry is substantial, and the market remains competitive.
Berkley Street School is a solidly performing elementary school in a dense, diverse, and expensive Bergen County borough. Its English language arts results are a clear strength, particularly by fourth grade, while math proficiency is more mixed and science results are an area where a parent may want to understand the school's approach. The school serves a diverse student body in a compact urban setting with good transit connections and a stable population.
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