The top reported proficiency rate is 79% in English language arts. The lowest is 41% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Schuyler Colfax Middle School
Schuyler Colfax Middle School serves sixth through eighth graders in Wayne, a suburban township in Passaic County that blends residential lake communities with regional retail corridors including a major mall and highway-front businesses. The school sits on Hamburg Turnpike, one of the main arteries through town, and draws its students from households that range from longtime lake-community residents to families who commute to New York City. This is a regular public school within the Wayne Township Public School District, and it operates at a size typical of a suburban middle school, with enrollment spread fairly evenly across the three grades.
Academically, Schuyler Colfax posts results that place it among the stronger middle schools in Passaic County when all tested subjects and grades are considered together. On state assessments, the school’s English language arts performance stands out: a strong majority of students score at the proficient or advanced level in each grade, with the highest share in sixth grade and only a slight softening in eighth. Math proficiency shows more variation. Seventh graders post the highest math results, while eighth graders’ proficiency rate drops noticeably, and sixth graders land in between. Taken as a whole, the school’s combined proficiency index across math, ELA, and eighth-grade science ranks in the top quartile compared to districts across Passaic County, a signal of consistent overall performance relative to its neighbors. Science results, measured only in eighth grade and with a different proficiency standard, are lower than the ELA and math figures, a gap that parents may want to discuss with the school to understand how the curriculum and test align.
The student body is predominantly white, with a meaningful Asian presence and a Hispanic share that together account for about a quarter of enrollment. Black students and students of two or more races make up smaller portions. Very few students come from low-income backgrounds, as measured by free or reduced-price meal eligibility. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not reported, so the school’s approach to special populations is not clear from the available information.
Wayne itself is a car-dependent township without a traditional downtown. Civic life centers on shopping centers, the university campus of William Paterson University, and the lake-based neighborhoods that give the town its character. Housing values in the area are elevated, reflecting the region’s desirability and proximity to jobs. The local housing market has seen a moderate increase in both home values and rents, and the typical house commands a price well above national benchmarks. For families considering a move, that puts the district in a more expensive tier of North Jersey suburbs. The district itself has recently expanded full-day preschool, a shift that signals capacity for early childhood offerings, though it does not directly affect the middle school.
Schuyler Colfax Middle School does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to review. Data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, staffing ratios, and course access were not available, leaving gaps for a parent who wants to evaluate the school’s climate and support systems. Those are areas where a visit or a conversation with the school administration would be useful.
This is a school for families who value strong English language arts outcomes and who want a middle school that sits in a well-resourced district with an affluent tax base. The math dip in eighth grade and the modest science scores are worth probing, but the overall record across subjects, especially when benchmarked against other Passaic County districts, is solid. The school environment reflects its suburban setting: no walkable downtown but ample retail, highway access, and lake-based recreation. It fits a family looking for a conventional public middle school in a high-cost, commuter-friendly township with a track record of academic performance in the top tier of its county.
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