Briarcliff Middle School

As an intimate intermediate school in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, Briarcliff Middle School serves 263 students from grades 6 through 8, one of the schools within Mountain Lakes Public School District. Enrollment runs roughly 54% leaner than the state mean of about 578.

Briarcliff Middle School is one of 4 schools operated by Mountain Lakes Public School District, a district that teaches 1,296 students overall.

Looking at the student body, Briarcliff Middle School shows that 70% of the student body identifies as White. Beyond that, the school records 19% Asian, 5% Hispanic, 4% multiracial, 2% Black. That composition is broadly in line with Morris County as a whole.

Looking at the economic backdrop, On paper, Briarcliff Middle School has 31 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 8.6:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 10.9:1, putting Briarcliff Middle School tighter than the state norm the norm. Around 1% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. That share is lower than Morris County's rate of about 19%.

After controlling for student poverty, Briarcliff Middle School tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 65.5% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 77.6%.

In the surrounding community, community-level numbers for Morris County indicate median household earnings sit near $137,326, roughly 58% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 3%. Across Morris County's 156 public schools (combined enrollment of about 72,239 students), Briarcliff Middle School is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: Wildwood Elementary School, around 0.2 miles off. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Briarcliff Middle School. On composite proficiency, Briarcliff Middle School comes 2nd of 7 in the immediate cluster, ahead of the nearby-schools average of 62.4%.

Geographically, the school is in a residential area.

Trend over the last 7 years. Over the past 7-year window, the student count edged down 13%: 302 students in 2018 compared to 263 in 2025. Over the same period, the Hispanic share edged down from 9% to 5%. Class-load math has pulled in: from 10.3:1 in 2018 to 8.6:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. The community welcomes input from current and former families.