The top reported proficiency rate is 54% in English language arts. The lowest is 49% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Nathaniel Hawthorne Elementary School
Nathaniel Hawthorne Elementary School is a regular public school in Teaneck, New Jersey, serving kindergarten through fourth grade. It is one of the elementary schools in the Teaneck School District, a district that sits within Bergen County, just west of New York City. Because the school serves only early elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report—that metric does not apply here.
The school enrolls a little over three hundred students, and the student body reflects the broader diversity of Teaneck itself. Hispanic students make up the largest share, followed by Black students, Asian students, and White students, with small numbers of Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, American Indian or Alaska Native, and multiracial students. Nearly half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a standard indicator of economic need.
State assessment results, based on the New Jersey Student Learning Assessments, are available for third and fourth graders in both math and English language arts. In math, the proportion of students reaching proficient or above was higher in third grade than in fourth grade. In English language arts, the results were similar across the two grades, with roughly half of students scoring proficient or above. Taken together, the school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it below the midpoint among districts in Bergen County. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand how supports are structured for students who are not yet meeting that benchmark.
Data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, and staffing were not available for this profile. Because the school only goes through fourth grade, measures like graduation rates and postsecondary readiness do not apply.
The Teaneck School District recently added a new early childhood building: Theodora Smiley Lacey Elementary School opened as a PreK–Kindergarten school in 2020, which redrew attendance patterns for the district’s youngest students and expanded early education capacity. That change would affect which elementary school a child in Teaneck attends, starting with kindergarten entry.
Teaneck itself is a bedroom community in the New York metropolitan area with a diverse population that includes large Jewish and African American communities alongside growing Hispanic and Asian populations. Rather than a single downtown, the township has four main shopping districts spread across its neighborhoods. Major employers include Cognizant Technology Solutions, Holy Name Medical Center, and Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Metropolitan Campus. The township is bisected by Route 4 and Interstates 95 and 80, which shape the street network and connect residents to the broader region.
Housing in the area is expensive relative to national averages, and rents take up a large share of typical household income. Home values are above the typical New Jersey home, consistent with Bergen County’s high-cost market. The 2024 Master Plan identifies revitalizing commercial areas, addressing flooding and drainage, and creating more pedestrian- and bike-friendly streets as top priorities.
Nathaniel Hawthorne Elementary serves families looking for an elementary school within a diverse, suburban community near New York City. Its academic results, measured against the broader Bergen County landscape, are below the midpoint, and its student body is economically diverse. A family considering this school would want to understand how the school supports students who are not yet proficient and what programming is available within the building.
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