Charles J. Riley/ School 9

Set in PATERSON, New Jersey, Charles J. Riley/ School 9 is a sprawling primary school, part of Paterson Public School District. It educates 682 students across grades pre-K through 8. That puts it 68% above the typical public school in New Jersey, which averages around 405 students.

Across the 43 schools in Paterson Public School District (21,372 students total), Charles J. Riley/ School 9 accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

On demographics, Charles J. Riley/ School 9 logs that the most-represented group is White (50%), with the rest of the student body spread across multiple groups. Other groups include 40% Hispanic, 7% Asian, 3% Black. By comparison, Passaic County as a whole is about 41% White, so the school skews noticeably more White than its surroundings.

Looking at school resources, Charles J. Riley/ School 9 shows 59 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 11.6:1. That tracks the state average closely. Around 64% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, often used as a Title I proxy.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Charles J. Riley/ School 9 tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 30.9% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 34.8%.

In the broader community, community-level numbers for Passaic County indicate the typical household earns roughly $87,522 per year, roughly 31% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate sits near 11%. Charles J. Riley/ School 9 is one of 155 public schools in Passaic County (combined enrollment of about 83,237 students).

Nearest neighbor: Paterson Charter School for Science and Technology, around 0.2 miles off. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Charles J. Riley/ School 9 ranks 1st on composite proficiency, ahead of the local average of 23.6%.

Geographically, the school is in a commuter-belt area.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count contracted 17%: 819 students in 2018 compared to 682 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, posts here usually surface around enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. The community welcomes input from current and former families.