The top reported proficiency rate is 78% in English language arts. The lowest is 54% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Dogwood Hill Elementary School
Dogwood Hill Elementary School, in Oakland, New Jersey, serves students in kindergarten through fifth grade. It is one of three elementary schools that feed into Valley Middle School within the Oakland Public School District. For high school, Oakland students attend Indian Hills High School, which is part of the Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District and also serves the neighboring communities of Franklin Lakes and Wyckoff.
The school’s academic performance, as measured by the New Jersey Student Learning Assessment, is a clear strength. In English language arts, the share of students scoring proficient or above was at a three-quarter level or higher across the tested grade levels. Math proficiency was also strong, with a solid share of students meeting the bar. Science results, which are assessed only in fifth grade, were a weaker point, with a moderate share of students reaching the state’s benchmark. A parent may want to look into how science instruction is supported in the upper elementary grades. Overall, the school’s proficiency index across all tested subjects and grades lands in the top quartile relative to other districts in Bergen County, placing it among the higher-performing schools in a highly competitive region.
The student body is comparatively small for an elementary school, and the peer environment is characterized by a largely homogenous demographic profile. A substantial majority of students are white. Hispanic students make up the next largest group, while Asian, Black, and multiracial students each account for a small share of the enrollment. A modest share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a predominantly middle-to-upper-income population. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the source material.
The community context of Oakland is that of a primarily residential suburb in Bergen County, with a small downtown commercial area along Ramapo Valley Road anchored by the Copper Tree Mall. The borough has a low-density, auto-oriented built environment typical of suburban northern New Jersey. Its population has been essentially flat to slightly declining over recent decades, though the district anticipates enrollment growth from new housing construction, including the approved McCoy Road Subdivision, which adds affordable housing units. In response, the district has entered into a lease for a wing of a local church to house Early Childhood Learning and special services staff, a concrete signal that the district is preparing for more students.
The local housing market is expensive. Home values in the broader area are above the national benchmark, and the typical home price-to-income ratio is high, reflecting the broader Bergen County affordability challenge. Rents also command a significant share of household income.
Dogwood Hill does not offer a formal program or specialty such as a magnet or charter designation. It is a regular public school without Title I status. The absence of a program or theme means the school’s identity is that of a straightforward neighborhood elementary school.
Because the school serves only kindergarten through fifth grade, there is no graduation rate to report, and no data on chronic absenteeism or discipline was available in the source materials. For a family considering this school, the academic picture is the central draw: consistently strong performance in reading and math, particularly for an elementary school in a district that already performs well relative to its county. The combination of a small, relatively homogenous student body and a stable, high-cost suburban community may suit families who value strong baseline academics within a conventional public school setting. The district’s proactive planning for enrollment growth and new housing development is worth noting, as it suggests the school’s current scale and peer composition may shift over time.
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