Hillside Avenue School

As a sizable primary school in CRANFORD, New Jersey, Hillside Avenue School enrolls 743 students from grades K through 8, overseen by Cranford Public School District. Compared to the state average of about 405 students per school, that is 83% bigger than typical.

Cranford Public School District comprises 7 schools with combined enrollment of 3,773 students; Hillside Avenue School is among them.

On the student-mix side, Hillside Avenue School records that 65% of the student body identifies as White; the rest consists of 19% Hispanic, 7% Asian, 5% multiracial, 4% Black. That is visibly more White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 39%.

Looking at school resources, The school reports having 74 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 10.0:1. The state averages around 11.4:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Around 3% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. That share is lower than Union County's rate of about 52%.

With demographic context factored in, Hillside Avenue School performs roughly as the BeatsExpectations model predicts for a school with this FRL share. The predicted value is around 64.5%, the actual is 62.9%, a residual of -1.6 points.

Across the wider county, Union County reports that median household income runs about $103,202, roughly 39% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Union County's 180 public schools (combined enrollment of about 99,046 students), Hillside Avenue School is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Walnut Avenue School, roughly 0.5 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Hillside Avenue School at 2nd of 6; the average score across the group is 37.0%.

The school occupies a commuter-belt site.

Over the past 7-year window. Over the past 7-year window, the student count ticked up 4%: 715 students in 2018 compared to 743 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share ticked down from 73% to 65%.

On the community side, recent activity here tends to focus on classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.