The top reported proficiency rate is 58% in Math. The lowest is 48% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Rolling Hills Primary School
Rolling Hills Primary School serves second and third graders in the Vernon Township School District, a public school system spread across a sprawling, car-dependent township in Sussex County. Vernon is a place of lake communities, preserved open space, and recreation, anchored by Mountain Creek ski resort and Crystal Springs Resort. The township has seen a modest population decline from its peak, and the district itself is actively debating whether to close one of its six school buildings due to falling enrollment, a conversation that carries real consequences for attendance zones and property values. The district has also approved consecutive annual tax levy increases at the state cap, a pattern current and prospective residents should factor into their household budgets.
Rolling Hills is a straightforward primary school with a clear academic mission for its narrow grade band. Its student body is predominantly white, with a Hispanic population comprising roughly a quarter of enrollment. About one in five students qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, a rate that positions the school below the typical share seen across New Jersey public schools and reflects the township’s generally middle-income character. The school does not report counts for students with disabilities or English learners in the available data, a gap that may be worth a call to the school if you have a child with either designation.
Academically, the school provided state testing results for third grade in both math and English language arts. In math, a clear majority of students met the state’s proficiency benchmark, a result that places Rolling Hills in the top quartile among Sussex County districts when measured across all tested subjects and grades. In ELA, roughly half of students were proficient. That spread, with math notably stronger than reading, is a pattern parents may want to ask about, particularly since second and third grade are foundational years for literacy development. No testing data is available for second grade, as New Jersey’s NJSLA assessments begin in third grade.
The school environment and access data is thin. There is no information on discipline rates, staffing ratios, course access, or chronic absenteeism. For a primary school serving only two grades, some of those metrics may not be tracked or reported in the same way as for a middle or high school. Still, a family moving into the area should expect to ask the school directly about class sizes, support for struggling readers, and how the building handles the transition from the K-1 school (Cedar Mountain Primary) that feeds into it.
Housing in the 07462 zip code carries a value that sits well below the New Jersey statewide benchmark, making Vernon more affordable than many North Jersey communities with comparable access to outdoor recreation. The county market shows median listing prices rising, with homes moving relatively quickly, a signal of steady demand. Rents are also present, though no year-over-year change was available, leaving that piece less clear.
Rolling Hills is not a school that generates dramatic annual headlines or data-rich dashboards. It is a small, straightforward primary school in a district facing tough choices about its physical footprint and financial trajectory. The academic baseline for third grade is solid, especially in math, though ELA results leave room for growth. For a family considering Vernon, the key questions are less about this building in isolation and more about the district’s direction, its budget pressures, and how a potential consolidation would affect which school your second grader attends for just two years before moving on.
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