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Excellent

#139 of 2,466 schools in NJ

Top 6% in state

Hillside Elementary School

Elementary School · Closter Public School District · Closter, NJ

A Closter Public School District elementary school where students score 11 points above what's typical for similar communities.

340 Homans Avenue, Closter, NJ 07624

  • Math 78% vs NJ 48% (2025)
  • Reading 79% vs NJ 49% (2025)
  • 10.3:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress9.3Excellent50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data16
Annual Change+7.4 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendImproving
Academics9.2Excellent30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency78.3% (2025 NJSLA)
Reading/ELA Proficiency78.8% (2025 NJSLA)
Math vs. State Avg+30.4 pts
Reading vs. State Avg+34.9 pts
Overall Proficiency79% (2025 NJSLA, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)67% (model expectation from 2025 NJSLA)
vs. Expected+11.0 pts
Adjusted Percentile87th
Resources & Environment6.0Average20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio10.3:1
District spending per student$21,671
Chronic Absenteeism9.8%

Students at Hillside Elementary School score 79% proficient, which is above what's typical for similar communities (expected: 67%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 NJSLA proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. NJ average.

Math Proficiency78%(2025 NJSLA)
School
State
48%(2025 NJSLA)
ELA Proficiency79%(2025 NJSLA)
School
State
49%(2025 NJSLA)

Trend

↑ Recovering

Proficiency declined earlier in the 17-year record (2009–2025), then recovered 10 points since 2021, reaching 79% in 2025.

Show all 16 years
2009
Math
87%
ELA
80%
2010
Math
96%
ELA
91%
2011
Math
97%
ELA
91%
2012
Math
92%
ELA
87%
2013
Math
90%
ELA
85%
2014
Math
83%
ELA
84%
2015
Math
80%
ELA
81%
2016
Math
75%
ELA
81%
2017
Math
83%
ELA
86%
2018
Math
86%
ELA
90%
2019
Math
86%
ELA
90%
2020*
Math
68%
ELA
70%
2021*
Math
68%
ELA
70%
2022
Math
77%
ELA
79%
2024
Math
69%
ELA
73%
2025
Math
78%
ELA
79%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 81% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 82% (multi-year average, 2009-2025)

* COVID-affected year — test participation was uneven nationwide. This data is weighted at 50% in the Growth score calculation.

Based on 36 test records from NJ state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

1.8%

Students qualifying for federal meal assistance

How we rate schools

A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.

See how we rate

The neighborhood

Where Hillside Elementary School sits, and what the surrounding area looks like.

Nearby same-level schools are colored by their score. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Open the New York map →

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 61Somewhat Walkable
  • Bike 46Somewhat Bikeable
  • City Safety: Elevated1,204/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Closter), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2024. Freshness not available.

Area profileU.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

Median income

$187,500

Median home value

$820,100

Median rent

$2,651/mo

College educated

66.2%

Homeownership

82%

Poverty rate

7.2%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 07624; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Programs & students

Programs & Offerings

Gifted & Talented ProgramAvailable
This school offers a gifted and talented program for qualifying students.·CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Compare nearby

Nearby same-level schools

4 from a 5-mile search

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
Acton Academy of Bergen CountyPrivate · tuition5.0privateK–81.0 mi52Compare →
Acton Academy of Bergen County Inc.Private · tuition4.8privateK–81.0 mi56Compare →
County Road SchoolEnrollment path unverified7.7PK–11.1 mi200Compare →
Luther Lee Emerson SchoolEnrollment path unverified9.22–41.4 mi225Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Private · tuition: Potential private option; tuition and admission requirements have not been verified.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Public and private scores come from different models and are shown side by side, not blended into one ranking.

Closter Public School District

Schools in district
2
Rank in district
#1 of 2
District spending per student
$21,671NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
3.9%Census SAIPE · 2024

Hillside Elementary School is listed in Closter Public School District; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Hillside Elementary School

Hillside Elementary School is a public elementary school in Closter, NJ, part of Closter Public School District, serving approximately 620 students in grades Pre-K-4th with a 10.3:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 8.6 out of 10 and ranks #139 of 2,466 schools in NJ. State assessment records show 81% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 82% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Hillside Elementary School

What grades does Hillside Elementary School serve?

Hillside Elementary School serves students in grades Pre-K through 4th.

How many students attend Hillside Elementary School?

Hillside Elementary School has an enrollment of approximately 620 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Hillside Elementary School?

The student-teacher ratio at Hillside Elementary School is 10.3:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Hillside Elementary School rank in NJ?

Hillside Elementary School ranks #139 of 2,466 schools in NJ.

What is Hillside Elementary School's MySchoolScout rating?

Hillside Elementary School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 8.6 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Hillside Elementary School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Hillside Elementary School has 81% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 82% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Hillside Elementary School a charter school?

No, Hillside Elementary School is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Hillside Elementary School a Title I school?

No, Hillside Elementary School is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Hillside Elementary School?

1.8% of students at Hillside Elementary School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School factsNCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24)

Grades
Pre-K – 4th
Enrollment
620
Student-Teacher Ratio
10.3:1
Teachers (FTE)
60
Type
regular
Setting
Large Suburb
County
Bergen County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
9.8%
Area population (ZIP 07624)
8,544
Area average commute
33.4 min
Area median age
40.3
About this school's data

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named below.

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 NJSLA · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 NJSLA. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 NJSLA · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 NJSLA. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 07624; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

About our data · How we calculate scores

Related reading

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