The top reported proficiency rate is 69% in Math. The lowest is 40% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Bertrand F. Gibbs Elementary School
Bertrand F. Gibbs Elementary School is a regular public school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in New Milford, a densely populated urban borough in Bergen County, New Jersey. It is one of two elementary schools in the New Milford Public School District, which also includes a middle school and a high school. The school occupies its own site within the borough's compact, fully built-out residential fabric.
New Milford itself is primarily residential, with a mix of single-family homes and local commercial corridors. The borough packs a sizeable population into a small land area, giving it a dense, walkable character. Historic New Bridge Landing, a Revolutionary War site, sits near the borough's edge and serves as a cultural anchor; the Art Center of Northern New Jersey offers classes for adults and children. The Hackensack River runs through the borough and has caused flooding during major storms. NJ Transit provides local bus service and a rail station on the Pascack Valley Line that connects to Hoboken. The population has been stable in recent decades after a long period of mid-century growth. Housing values in the area are high, typical of Bergen County, and the rental market is also elevated. County-level market data show active listing counts and median listing prices that reflect a competitive housing environment.
Gibbs Elementary enrolls roughly five hundred students across grades K through five, with a small pre-kindergarten program. The student body is diverse. White students make up the largest group, followed by Hispanic students, Asian students, and Black students, with smaller numbers of Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander and American Indian or Alaska Native students. A modest share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which places the school in a relatively low-poverty context compared to many districts in the state. Data on students with disabilities and English learners were not available in the reporting; families who need that information should seek it directly from the school.
Academic performance on New Jersey's state assessments is solid overall. In math, proficiency rates across grades three, four, and five are above the midpoint among all districts in Bergen County when combined into a single index. English language arts proficiency follows a similar pattern, with grade four performance standing out as particularly strong. Fifth-grade science proficiency is lower than the math and reading results, and a parent may want to look into science instruction with the school. There is no multi-year trend data available, so it is not possible to assess whether these results are improving or declining over time. The school's composite proficiency index places it above the midpoint of the county comparison group, which includes a large number of districts.
Because Gibbs serves only through fifth grade, there is no graduation rate, and the school does not report a chronic absenteeism rate in the available data. No information on discipline, staffing, or program offerings such as gifted education or specials was provided in the public record. The district itself has no recent parent-relevant changes on record beyond routine facilities planning.
For a family in the New Milford area, Gibbs Elementary offers a stable elementary program with academic results that are reliably above the county midpoint in math and reading. The school is set within a dense, established borough with high housing costs and a long history as a commuter suburb. The student body is ethnically diverse but economically less so than many districts in the state. Science performance is a noted softer spot and worth a conversation with the school. Overall, this is a school that fits families looking for a solid academic foundation in a fully developed, transit-connected community, though the available public data leaves some questions about classroom supports and programming unanswered.
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