The top reported proficiency rate is 55% in Math. The lowest is 50% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Robert Erskine School
Robert Erskine School is a regular public school serving kindergarten through third grade in Ringwood, a mountainous, lake-studded borough in northern Passaic County about forty miles northwest of New York City. Because it covers only the earliest elementary years, the school does not have a graduation rate or measures like chronic absenteeism that apply to older students. State testing data is available for just one grade level, third grade, which is the only tested grade in the building. Those results give a snapshot of where the school's students stand as they finish the primary cycle.
On the state's NJSLA assessments, third graders at Robert Erskine showed a solid performance that places the school in the top quartile among all elementary-level schools in Passaic County, when considering proficiency across both math and English language arts. The school's proficiency index exceeds the county median, meaning that on average, a clear majority of its tested students met state benchmarks. However, the results are not uniformly high about half of third graders scored at proficient or above in both subjects. A parent may want to look into this further with the school, particularly around how the school supports students who are not yet meeting the bar, and how it challenges those who are ready for more.
The school's enrollment is small, and its student body is predominantly white, with a smaller share of Hispanic students and very small numbers of Black, Asian, multiracial, and American Indian students. The share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch is relatively low, indicating a student population that is, on the whole, not economically disadvantaged at high rates. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available, so a parent should ask the school directly about those support structures.
Ringwood itself is a low-density, car-dependent community spread over more than twenty-seven square miles of the Ramapo Mountains. The borough has no traditional walkable downtown; schools, parks, and civic buildings are dispersed across winding roads. Lake communities such as Cupsaw Lake, Skyline Lake, and Lake Erskine serve as local social hubs. The area is rich in public parks and forestland, including Ringwood State Park and Norvin Green State Forest. Housing values are above the national median, and the local housing market has been active, with prices rising modestly over the past year. Large-scale new development is unlikely because extensive state park and watershed protections limit available land.
The Ringwood School District, which operates this school along with other buildings serving through eighth grade, has recently taken steps that affect local families. The board of education approved a budget for the 2024-25 year that includes a property tax increase, driven largely by special education, transportation, and staff healthcare costs. A homeowner with a typical assessed home value in the borough would see a modest annual increase. Separately, the state approved the district's long-range facilities plan, which projects enrollment growth over the next several years at its five sites (four school buildings and a preschool). The plan found that current capacity is adequate, meaning no new school construction is expected soon.
Robert Erskine School is a place for families who want a small, neighborhood early elementary experience in a suburban-rural setting with strong outdoor amenities. Its test performance is solid but not exceptional, so parents looking for top-tier academic outcomes from the youngest grades may want to track how students fare as they move into the district's upper elementary and middle schools, for which separate data is available. The school's modest size and early grade span mean that peer environment and instructional approach will be shaped by a relatively homogeneous, lower-poverty student body. The borough's geography and housing constraints suggest stable but not rapidly growing enrollment, and the district's facilities plan confirms that. For a family placing a premium on a tight-knit primary school in a natural setting with capable, middle-of-the-pack academic results, Robert Erskine is a reasonable fit.
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