Montclair Public School District

The Montclair Public School District in New Jersey consists of 11 schools, including 7 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, and 1 high school. The district as a whole performs well, with all schools earning 4-star ratings from SchoolDigger, indicating a consistent and strong approach to education across the district.

Among the standout schools in the district are Montclair High School, which ranks 152 out of 426 New Jersey high schools and has a high 91.1% four-year graduation rate. The middle schools, Buzz Aldrin Middle School and Glenfield Middle School, also perform well, ranking in the top 200-300 middle schools in the state and earning 4-star ratings. At the elementary level, Hillside Elementary School and Charles H. Bullock School stand out, ranking in the top 250 elementary schools in New Jersey and demonstrating above-average performance in both English Language Arts and Mathematics.

However, the district does face some challenges, such as consistently high chronic absenteeism rates of around 16-17% across all schools. Additionally, while the middle and high schools show strong and consistent performance, the elementary schools exhibit more variability in their academic results, suggesting a need to further examine and address any disparities in the lower grades. The data also does not show a clear correlation between per-student spending and academic performance, indicating that factors beyond just funding, such as instructional practices and school leadership, may play a significant role in student outcomes.