The top reported proficiency rate is 55% in English language arts. The lowest is 14% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Thomas a Edison Elementary School
Thomas A. Edison Elementary School is a regular public school in Union City serving preschool through sixth grade. It is part of the Union City School District, the primary public employer in this densely packed Hudson County city. The school sits on West Street, embedded in the urban grid of a municipality known as being the most densely populated city in the nation. Union City lacks suburban campuses; its schools are woven into the street-level fabric of multi-family housing, small businesses, and commercial corridors. Families considering this school are looking at a classic urban public elementary experience in a city that has seen population growth over the past decade, though recent estimates suggest a slight decline. Expansion is constrained by the city's small land area and extreme density, meaning new capacity comes from redevelopment projects rather than new greenfield sites.
The student body is predominantly Hispanic, a reflection of the city's strong Cuban-American cultural heritage and its broader Latino community. A very large share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a population with significant economic need. This peer environment is one of deep socioeconomic diversity concentrated within a single ethnic majority. The school is a regular public school, neither a charter nor a magnet, and no Title I status was reported in the available data.
On state assessments, academic performance varies noticeably by grade and subject. In English language arts, the school shows a pattern where proficiency rates climb from grade three to grade four, then settle in the middle range for grades five and six. The strongest showing is in grade four, where a solid majority of students met the state's proficient or above benchmark. In math, results are more uneven. Grade four also shows a majority of students meeting proficiency, but performance drops in grade three and again in grade five, with grade six showing the lowest math proficiency across the tested grades. Science results for grade five are a clear soft spot, with a small fraction of students reaching the proficient level. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand how the science curriculum and instruction are structured, particularly for students moving into middle school.
When placed against other districts in Hudson County, the school's overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades sits above the midpoint among its county peers. That is a meaningful position in a county with a wide range of outcomes, though it does not place the school near the top of that distribution. The school serves grades PK through six, so there is no graduation rate to report, and chronic absenteeism data was not available in this profile.
The district context is relevant. Union City is building the Esther Salas Academy, a new school for grades seven through nine expected to open in the near future. This is a significant capital project that will reshape the middle-grade experience and likely relieve overcrowding. The district also operates José Martí STEM Academy, which received a National Blue Ribbon School recognition, signaling a specialized STEM option within the district. For families at Edison, the feeder pattern into these newer and specialized middle-grade options is something to explore directly with the district.
Housing in Union City is expensive relative to national norms. Home values in the area are well above the national median, and rents are similarly elevated. The monthly cost of owning a home is higher than renting a comparable unit, a dynamic common in dense urban markets near New York City. For a family considering moving to the attendance zone, the trade-off is paying a premium for proximity to Manhattan and the dense, walkable urban life that Union City offers, while sending children to a school that performs in the middle to upper portion of a competitive county.
The school's academic picture is one of bright spots mixed with real challenges. The district is investing in new infrastructure and has a recognized STEM magnet school, but Edison itself shows a clear need for improvement in science and in math at certain grade levels. This is a school that fits a family committed to a dense urban setting, comfortable with a high-needs student population, and willing to engage with the school on academic areas that are not yet where the district's own best schools are. The data does not provide information on programs, staffing, discipline, or course access, so a parent should ask the school directly about enrichment offerings, class sizes, and support for students who are behind.
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