Etta Gero School No. 9, Passaic NJ

Original Research by School Decision on Etta Gero School No. 9

Etta Gero School No. 9 is a public elementary school in Passaic, New Jersey, serving kindergarten through sixth grade. It is part of the Passaic City School District and sits in a densely built urban neighborhood in one of the most compact and densely populated cities in the state. Passaic itself is a city with a deep industrial past and a present-day mix of residential blocks, commercial corridors along Main Avenue, and a growing Orthodox Jewish community. Its extreme density and walkable street grid mean that the school is embedded directly in the surrounding residential fabric rather than isolated on a campus. Housing values in the area are broadly in line with statewide typical levels, and the rental market is active, with affordability a central consideration for many households.

The school enrolls a student body that is overwhelmingly Hispanic and almost universally low-income, as measured by free or reduced-price meal eligibility. This is a high-poverty school serving a population with significant economic need. Enrollment is moderate in size for a K-6 building, with grade-level groups that are generally consistent across the elementary years. The student composition reflects the broader demographics of the neighborhood and the district.

On the state's NJSLA assessments, student proficiency rates in math were very low across all tested grades from third through sixth. In English language arts, a small share of students reached proficiency, with slightly higher performance at the fifth and sixth grade levels than in the earlier grades. Science results at grade five were similarly low. Compared to other school districts in Passaic County, the school's overall proficiency index sits in the bottom quartile, a position that reflects the substantial academic challenges facing the student body. A parent considering this school may want to discuss with the school the specific academic supports, intervention strategies, and resources available to address the gap between current outcomes and grade-level expectations.

Because the school serves only through sixth grade, there is no graduation rate to report. Data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, staffing, and special education or English learner populations were not available in the information provided, so a full picture of the school environment beyond test scores is not possible here. The district itself did not have publicly reported recent referendum or strategic planning information readily found, so the broader district direction is also not clear from available sources.

Passaic's population has been relatively stable in recent years, with modest fluctuations. The city is pursuing redevelopment of former industrial sites, including a long-planned conversion of the Okonite property into a retail center. The Urban Enterprise Zone, which provides incentives for local commerce and supports commercial corridors, is scheduled to expire, a change that could affect the local economic landscape. These broader conditions matter for the school because they shape the stability and resources of the community it serves.

Etta Gero School No. 9 is a neighborhood school in a dense, urban, high-poverty setting. Its test results are low by county and state standards, and the school serves a student population with very high economic need. For a family already living in the attendance zone, it offers a local option for elementary and middle school, but the academic outcomes are a clear area of concern, and parents would be well served to inquire deeply about the school's instructional approach, intervention programs, and how it supports students performing below grade level.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 38%

School 8% · District 19% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 42 pts below state median · ▼ 32 pts below county median

Grade 40%

School 0% · District 23% · ▼ 23 pts below district

▼ 46 pts below state median · ▼ 32 pts below county median

Grade 52%

School 2% · District 21% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▼ 41 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

Grade 63%

School 3% · District 18% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 30 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 38%

School 8% · District 22% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 37 pts below state median · ▼ 26 pts below county median

Grade 47%

School 7% · District 25% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▼ 49 pts below state median · ▼ 37 pts below county median

Grade 520%

School 20% · District 30% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 34 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Grade 622%

School 22% · District 37% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▼ 32 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Science

Grade 52%

School 2% · District 14% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 25 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

This schoolPassaic City 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.