The top reported proficiency rate is 79% in English language arts. The lowest is 58% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Theunis Dey Elementary School
Theunis Dey Elementary School serves kindergarten through fifth grade in the Wayne Township Public School District. It is a regular public school, one of several elementary schools feeding into the district’s middle and high schools.
Academically, this school performs well. On the New Jersey Student Learning Assessments, a substantial share of students met or exceeded state standards in both math and English language arts across grades three, four, and five. The strongest results came in the upper elementary grades for English language arts, where the share of proficient students was particularly high. Math proficiency, while still solid, showed a modest decline from grade three to grade five, a pattern that is not unusual as content becomes more advanced. Science results for fifth graders, the only tested science grade, showed a smaller share reaching proficiency. Overall, when compared against other schools in Passaic County, this school’s combined proficiency across all tested subjects and grades places it in the top quarter of the county’s schools.
The student body is predominantly white, with a Hispanic population making up a meaningful share of the enrollment and smaller groups of Asian, Black, and multiracial students. A very small share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a relatively affluent student population. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available; a parent who wants to understand how the school serves these populations may want to ask the school directly.
The school is located in Wayne, a suburban township roughly a short drive from Manhattan. Wayne is car-dependent, with no traditional walkable downtown. Its retail and commercial life centers on the Willowbrook Mall and highway corridors along Routes 23 and 46. The township has several lake communities that began as seasonal retreats and are now year-round neighborhoods. Major employers include Valley Bank’s corporate headquarters, William Paterson University, and medical device and manufacturing firms. The housing market in the area shows home values that are elevated relative to national benchmarks, and the county’s housing inventory has been tight, with homes selling relatively quickly.
The district recently expanded its full-day preschool program, a shift that makes full-day early childhood education more accessible to families. This is a lasting change that may be relevant to parents entering the district with younger children.
There is no data on discipline, course access, staffing ratios, or attendance for this school. These are important areas for understanding school climate and support, and their absence means a family should expect to gather that information directly from the school or district. A parent considering this school will likely want to confirm how class sizes compare with other district elementary schools and what enrichment or intervention programs are available.
Theunis Dey is a solid academic choice within Wayne’s elementary school network, with notably strong English language arts outcomes in grades four and five and above-average county-wide results. It serves a relatively homogeneous and affluent community in a suburban setting that is convenient for commuters to New York City. The school’s small size and grade band mean it is a neighborhood school where children typically move through the primary grades with a familiar cohort.
See more original research from School Decision →