The top reported proficiency rate is 70% in Math. The lowest is 41% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Julia a Traphagen School
Julia A. Traphagen School is one of two elementary schools in the Waldwick School District, serving students in prekindergarten through fifth grade. It is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and is located in a residential borough in Bergen County. Enrollment is in the upper hundreds for the full school, and the school does not serve grades that would produce a graduation rate, so that metric does not apply here.
The student body is predominantly white, with a substantial Hispanic population and smaller shares of Asian, Black, and multiracial students. A very small share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which places the school in a low-poverty category compared to many public schools nationally.
Academically, the school’s state test results in math and English language arts show a clear pattern. In third grade, a strong majority of students scored proficient or above in both subjects. By fourth grade, proficiency rates were moderately lower, and by fifth grade, they dropped further, with roughly half of students meeting the bar in English language arts and a modest majority doing so in math. Science results for fifth graders were weaker, with fewer than half reaching proficiency. When placed among districts in Bergen County, the school’s overall proficiency index sits above the midpoint, meaning it performs better than a typical district in the county but is not among the highest. A parent may want to ask the school about the drop in performance from third to fifth grade, especially in reading, to understand whether it reflects a curricular shift, cohort differences, or something else.
The school is part of the Waldwick district, which has drawn public attention for its finances. The district approved a property tax levy increase for a recent school year, the maximum allowed under state cap rules. The budget growth was driven by rising costs in special education placements outside the district, transportation, and employee salaries. The district also made a significant investment in construction and capital improvements in a prior fiscal year, and budget discussions have mentioned ongoing needs for roof repairs and HVAC upgrades across multiple school buildings. For a family considering the area, these are relevant because New Jersey property taxes are high, and this district has a pattern of using the full cap increase.
Waldwick itself is a small, primarily residential borough with a commuter-rail connection to Hoboken and Manhattan. The housing market reflects that. Home values are high, and the housing stock is almost entirely owner-occupied single-family homes with very low vacancy, which means limited turnover and a tight market. Rents, where available, would also be elevated. The community is suburban in character, with a train station and a small civic area along Franklin Turnpike. The borough has been stable in population for decades, so the school is not absorbing rapid enrollment growth or contraction.
Because Traphagen is a regular public elementary school in a fairly affluent commuter suburb with strong but not elite test performance, it fits a family that values a suburban, low-poverty elementary school with a solid academic floor and is comfortable with the tax burden that comes with that setting. A family looking for a school that sustains high proficiency across all elementary grades, or one that wants a more diverse economic peer group, may find the fifth-grade reading scores worth a closer look.
See more original research from School Decision →