The top reported proficiency rate is 79% in English language arts. The lowest is 38% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Central Middle School
Central Middle School is a regular public school serving grades six through eight in Stirling, part of the Long Hill Township School District. It occupies a single campus on Central Avenue, in a community that grew up around a railroad stop and retains a small commercial node near the train station. The school building is integrated into this suburban setting rather than isolated on a large campus. The district has been investing in a STEAM lab program, with board meeting minutes from recent years showing ongoing updates to that curriculum, and the district website highlights 1:1 technology and STEAM as core offerings across its three schools. The 2024-2025 district budget carried a property tax increase on the school portion of taxes while staying within the state levy cap, a point for families weighing the cost of living in the district.
The student body is not large for a middle school. In terms of economic and demographic composition, a modest share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, placing the school in a higher-income context relative to many New Jersey public schools. Racially, the student population is predominantly white, with Hispanic students making up the next largest group, followed by Asian students, and very small numbers of Black and multiracial students. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not reported in the available records. The school does not appear to have Title I status.
On state assessments, Central Middle School shows a notable split between English language arts and math. In ELA, a strong majority of students in each grade scored at or above the proficient level, with rates comfortably above the midpoint for Morris County districts. Math proficiency rates are lower, hovering around half of students or just below, with a noticeable dip at the sixth-grade level compared to the upper grades. Science, assessed only in eighth grade, shows a lower proficiency rate, with a minority of students reaching the state standard. A parent may want to look into how the school supports students who are not yet meeting the math and science benchmarks, particularly given the district's focus on STEAM. The school's overall proficiency index, which averages these subjects and grades together, places Central above the midpoint among the county's districts, reflecting the strength of the ELA results.
Stirling itself is a small, low-density census-designated place, first formally counted in the 2020 Census. It has an affluent profile, with median household income well above state and national averages. The housing stock reflects this: home values are elevated even by Morris County standards, and the median list price for the county is high relative to national benchmarks, with a competitive market. The area is stable rather than rapidly growing. The closure of a local Catholic school due to declining enrollment suggests some demographic pressure, but the public school enrollment appears steady. The school's zip code shows typical values for the area.
Because Central Middle School serves only grades six through eight, there is no graduation rate to report, and chronic absenteeism data was not available. The school's environment and access data, such as course offerings, staffing ratios, and discipline rates, were also not present in the records. The school is a regular public school and is not a charter, magnet, or Title I school. For a family reading this, Central Middle offers a solid ELA program, a district making deliberate curriculum investments, and a student peer group in a higher-income suburban setting, with math and science performance areas to investigate further.
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