Original Research by School Decision on Passaic Valley Regional High School
Passaic Valley Regional High School serves grades nine through twelve as a regular public high school in Little Falls, New Jersey. It is the sole school of the Passaic Valley Regional High School District, a regional arrangement that also draws students from the neighboring communities of Totowa and Woodland Park. The school sits on its own campus within Little Falls, a primarily residential township of modest size in Passaic County, roughly twenty miles west of New York City.
Little Falls has a recognized downtown area, often called the Center of Town, and three distinct subdivisions: Great Notch, the central area, and Singac along the Passaic River. The township’s economy historically centered on light industry and the Beattie Carpet Mill, which has been converted into riverfront condominiums. Today, light industrial and office-based businesses remain, and Montclair State University, located within the township, is a significant employer. NJ Transit provides rail service through the Little Falls station and the Montclair State University station, both on the Montclair-Boonton Line, offering connections to Hoboken and New York Penn Station. The Morris Canal remnants form a greenway through the area. The housing market in the school’s zip code is expensive relative to national norms, reflecting the broader suburban housing pressures of northern New Jersey.
The school’s enrollment is moderate for a high school serving three communities. The student body is diverse: roughly half of students are white, about two in five are Hispanic, and smaller shares are Asian, Black, or multiracial. About a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a mix of socioeconomic backgrounds. Data on the share of students with individualized education plans and English learner status was not reported in the available sources, so a parent would need to inquire directly with the school about these supports.
State testing results and graduation rates were not available in the data provided for this profile. The comparison system that positions the school relative to districts in Passaic County could not compute proficiency, four-year graduation, or chronic absenteeism metrics because the school’s values were missing. This is a notable gap for a regular high school, where such measures are typically reported. A parent would want to look into this further with the school or district to understand academic performance and student outcomes. No program offerings, such as Advanced Placement, career and technical education, or dual-credit pathways, were listed in the supplied data, though the school’s own website or course catalog may provide that information.
The district brief turned up little of lasting impact in terms of recent changes or strategic priorities, so the school appears to be operating in a stable administrative context. The regional structure means that the school draws from three towns, each with its own elementary and middle schools, so the high school is the shared destination for students from Little Falls, Totowa, and Woodland Park.
Given the absence of academic outcome data, the profile of Passaic Valley Regional High School is defined more by its setting and student composition than by measurable performance. Families considering this school will want to seek out state assessment results, graduation rates, and program offerings directly from the school to form a complete picture of the academic pathway and support available.
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