The top reported proficiency rate is 74% in English language arts. The lowest is 65% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Gregory Elementary School
Gregory Elementary School serves kindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public school within the West Orange Public Schools district, a suburban township in Essex County that functions as an inner-ring suburb of Newark and a commuter suburb of New York City. The school itself sits in a residential neighborhood, one of seven elementary schools that all feed into a central sixth-grade middle school model, a recent district reconfiguration that reorganized feeder patterns and is worth noting for families tracking school assignment.
The student body reflects a mix of racial and ethnic backgrounds. A substantial share of students identify as white, with meaningful numbers of Hispanic, Black, and multiracial students, and a smaller Asian population. A modest share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a figure that may give a parent some sense of the socioeconomic mix of the school. Enrollment is steady across the elementary grades, with each grade section carrying a comparable number of students. Special population data such as the share of students with individualized education plans or English learner status was not reported.
On state assessments, the picture is one of consistent strength. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or above rises notably from the lower tested grade to the upper ones, with a substantial majority reaching that bar in the oldest grade tested. In English language arts, a solid majority of students meet the proficient threshold in the earliest tested grade, and that figure climbs to a strong majority in the two upper grades tested. Science, tested only in the oldest grade, shows a solid majority of students proficient as well. When placed against other schools in Essex County, Gregory's overall proficiency across all tested subjects lands in the top quartile, a clear indicator that academic performance here is notably above the county median.
Because the school serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report. State testing data for science is limited to a single grade, as is typical in New Jersey. Participation rate data for assessments was not available, so it is not possible to confirm what share of students took the tests, though that gap often reflects reporting conventions rather than an actual issue.
The community context is worth understanding. West Orange is a predominantly residential township with a historic downtown corridor along Main Street in the Valley section, where the municipal building, library, and a growing arts district are concentrated. The township is framed by two large Essex County reservations, South Mountain and Eagle Rock, providing extensive parkland and trails. Major local employers include healthcare facilities and a regional shopping mall. The housing market in the area shows home values that are elevated and have risen meaningfully over a recent period, with rents that are also elevated relative to national benchmarks. The township's population has seen modest growth in recent decades. The district itself has expanded its pre-K enrollment substantially in recent years, reflecting a lasting investment in early childhood programming.
For a family considering this school, the core academic story is clear: Gregory produces strong proficiency outcomes that place it among the higher-performing elementary schools in the county. The student population is diverse but not heavily concentrated in poverty. The district has made structural changes to its middle school configuration that a parent moving in would want to understand. The community is suburban and established, with a historic downtown, significant parkland, and an active arts redevelopment corridor. The housing costs reflect the broader New Jersey suburban premium, especially given the township's proximity to both Newark and Manhattan. This school fits a family looking for a well-regarded elementary option within a larger suburban public school system that serves a mix of backgrounds and delivers consistently strong test results.
See more original research from School Decision →