The top reported proficiency rate is 81% in Math. The lowest is 80% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Brookdale Avenue School
Brookdale Avenue School serves kindergarten through fourth grade as one of four neighborhood elementary schools in the Verona Public School District. It is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. The enrollment is small, which is typical for an early-grades building in a residential suburban district. The student population is predominantly White, with a modest share of Hispanic students and smaller numbers of Asian, Black, and multiracial students. No data on free or reduced-price lunch eligibility, special education identification, or English learner status were reported, so a parent may want to see how the school serves those groups by asking the district directly.
State assessment results from the New Jersey Student Learning Assessment show that in both third and fourth grade, strong majorities of students scored at a proficient or advanced level in mathematics and English language arts. Fourth-grade math had a somewhat lower proficiency rate than third, but both were still at a high level. The school’s overall proficiency index, an average across tested subjects and grades, places Brookdale Avenue well above the typical level when compared with districts across Essex County. This is a school where most students are meeting grade-level standards solidly. Because the school serves only K-4, there is no graduation rate or high school outcomes to evaluate. Chronic absenteeism data were also not available.
Verona is a densely built suburban township in Essex County, nestled between the First and Second Watchung Mountains. It has a small-town, residential character. The township does not have a traditional downtown; civic life centers on Bloomfield Avenue, where the municipal building, community center, and Verona Park with its lake and boathouse are located. Walkability is moderate: residential streets are walkable to local amenities and parks, but most commuting and errands require a car. The local housing market is expensive; home values and rents are well above national and state averages. The largest recent development was the redevelopment of the former Annin & Co. flag factory into apartments. Population growth has been modest.
All four elementary schools feed into Henry B. Whitehorne Middle School for grades five through eight and then Verona High School for grades nine through twelve. The district brief did not identify any recent major changes or strategic initiatives that a parent would need to track. The school’s website was not reviewed as part of this profile.
For a family considering this school, the picture is of a small, academically strong early-grade building in an affluent suburban community with limited racial and economic diversity. Performance on state tests is consistently high. The main gaps in the data are around student support measures: free-lunch counts, special education, and English learner rates were not available in the information provided. A parent moving into the district may want to confirm with the school how those programs are structured and how the school identifies and serves students who need extra help. The community context suggests that housing costs are a significant factor for any resident, and that the township’s amenities are oriented toward families with a car.
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