The top reported proficiency rate is 9% in English language arts. The lowest is 6% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Mahatma Gandhi School Number 25
Mahatma Gandhi School Number 25 is a public elementary school in Passaic, New Jersey, serving kindergarten through third grade. It is part of the Passaic City School District, a district that covers a densely populated urban city with a mixed residential, commercial, and industrial heritage. The school itself sits on Parker Avenue in a compact city where neighborhoods and civic institutions are woven tightly together.
The school enrolls a large student body for its grade band, and the community context is economically strained. A very substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student population is overwhelmingly Hispanic, with very small numbers of Black, white, multiracial, and American Indian students represented. The school does not report counts for students with disabilities or English learners in the available data, so a parent would want to ask the school directly about those support services.
Academically, the most recent state testing data covers only third grade, the only tested grade in this school's span. Proficiency rates on the New Jersey Student Learning Assessments were very low in both math and English language arts. On the math assessment, a small fraction of third graders scored at the proficient or advanced level. In English language arts, the share was slightly higher but still very low. When compared across districts in Passaic County, the school's overall proficiency index, which combines all tested subjects and grades, falls in the bottom quartile. There is no multi-year trend data available, so a parent cannot see whether performance has been improving or declining. Because the school ends at third grade, there is no graduation rate, and chronic absenteeism data was not reported.
The absence of certain data points is partly explained by the school's grade configuration. A kindergarten-through-third-grade building sits outside many accountability metrics that apply to schools serving older students. Still, the school's test results are a soft spot that families should investigate further. The district may have its own benchmarks or supports, but the publicly available record shows a school where most third graders are not meeting state proficiency standards.
The housing market in Passaic is shaped by its extreme density and proximity to New York City. Home values are above the national benchmark but below the state benchmark, while rents are high and have been rising. The market is competitive, with limited supply and homes selling relatively quickly. For a family considering a move to the area, the school is one of several elementary options within the district, and the city's walkable urban fabric, historic commercial corridor along Main Avenue, and growing Orthodox Jewish community add distinct character to the neighborhoods. The city's Urban Enterprise Zone, which offers a reduced sales tax, is set to expire soon, a factor that could affect future commercial development and local incentives.
Program offerings at the school were not reported in the data, so there is no information about enrichment, specials, or extracurricular activities. Staffing ratios, discipline rates, and attendance figures were also absent from the available information.
Mahatma Gandhi School Number 25 is a neighborhood school serving a high-need population in a dense urban environment. Its test results are notably low, and a parent would want to have a direct conversation with the school or district about academic interventions, supports for early literacy and numeracy, and how the school works with families to address the challenges that come with concentrated poverty. For a family whose priority is a school that reflects the community's cultural and economic reality, and who is willing to engage closely with the school's staff, this is a place to explore with an open and informed eye.
See more original research from School Decision →