Alfred C. Mackinnon Middle School, Wharton NJ

Original Research by School Decision on Alfred C. Mackinnon Middle School

Alfred C. MacKinnon Middle School serves grades six through eight in Wharton, a small, densely settled borough in the highlands of Morris County. The school is the only middle school in the Wharton Borough School District, which also operates a single elementary school; high school students attend Morris Hills High School through a regional district that includes Denville and parts of Rockaway. Wharton itself has an industrial heritage built around iron ore and the Morris Canal, and today its population is heavily Hispanic — a characteristic reflected in MacKinnon’s student body.

State testing results from the most recent year show a mixed picture. In English language arts, the share of students meeting the proficiency threshold rises across grades: about a third of sixth graders reached the bar, roughly half of seventh graders, and nearly two-thirds of eighth graders. Math proficiency is lower and more even across grades, with roughly three in ten students proficient in sixth and eighth grades and a stronger showing in seventh. Eighth-grade science results are substantially lower, with only a small fraction of students scoring proficient. Overall, when all tested subjects and grades are combined into a single index, MacKinnon sits in the bottom quarter of proficiency among Morris County districts. A family evaluating the school may want to look into how the school supports students who are not yet meeting state benchmarks and whether academic interventions or enrichment are available.

The student body is close to 300 students, roughly evenly distributed among the three middle grades. The composition is predominantly Hispanic, with a smaller White population and modest shares of Black and Asian students. About half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a measure of economic need that is higher than in many surrounding communities. Data on the share of students with disabilities or who are English learners was not reported, leaving a gap in understanding the full range of support needs. No information on chronic absenteeism or discipline was available either.

Wharton is a compact borough, dense by Morris County standards, with a walkable core and a major park along the former Morris Canal offering trails and green space. The borough sits just south of Picatinny Arsenal, a major Army research center, and many residents commute along the Routes 15, 46, and 80 corridors. Home values in the Wharton zip code area are typical of the region — well above the national median, though less expensive than some nearby towns — and mortgage rates and rents reflect the broader New Jersey cost of living. The school district did not have recent public reports of major changes or strategic initiatives that would inform a family’s decision.

For a parent or resident considering this school, the picture is straightforward. MacKinnon offers a middle-school setting in a small, identity-rich borough with a diverse student population. Academic proficiency, particularly in math and science, lags the county median, while English language arts performance improves notably by eighth grade. The absence of data on special populations, staff ratios, and attendance means some key questions about student support cannot be answered from available sources. Families who place a high value on peer diversity and a close community setting may find MacKinnon a natural fit; those primarily concerned with top-tier test scores will want to weigh their options carefully.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 629%

School 29% · District 29%

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 26 pts below county median

Grade 743%

School 43% · District 43%

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Grade 831%

School 31% · District 31%

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 634%

School 34% · District 34%

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 38 pts below county median

Grade 748%

School 48% · District 48%

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 28 pts below county median

Grade 864%

School 64% · District 64%

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Science

Grade 814%

School 14% · District 14%

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

This schoolWharton Borough School District, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income28%Higher-income42%15 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income42%Higher-income56%14 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income54%Higher-income72%18 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income28%Higher-income30%3 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income40%Higher-income47%7 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income24%Higher-income36%12 pp gap