Laning Avenue School

Laning Avenue School is one of the cozy elementary-level communitys in VERONA, New Jersey, one of the schools within Verona Public School District, with 261 students on its rolls from grades pre-K through 4. By comparison, New Jersey's public schools average about 405 students each, so Laning Avenue School sits 36% below that benchmark.

Within Verona Public School District, which oversees 6 schools and 2,167 students, Laning Avenue School is one campus in the system.

On demographics, Laning Avenue School reports that the largest single group is White, at 75% of enrollment; the rest looks like 11% Hispanic, 5% Asian, 5% multiracial, 3% Black. By comparison, Essex County as a whole is about 30% White, so the school skews considerably more White than its surroundings.

In terms of school funding signals, Staff filings list 22 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 11.9:1 students per teacher. The state averages about 11.4:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. Around 1% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. Set against Essex County (around 54%), the school's rate is south of typical.

After controlling for student poverty, Laning Avenue School tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 65.5% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 60.6%.

In the area at large, the surrounding county (Essex County) logs that the typical household earns roughly $80,789 per year, roughly 39% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 11% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Laning Avenue School is one of 249 public schools in Essex County (combined enrollment of about 145,473 students).

The closest other public school is Brookdale Avenue School, roughly 0.3 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Laning Avenue School. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Laning Avenue School at 4th of 7; the average score across the group is 61.7%.

The campus sits in a suburban setting.

Over the past 7-year window. Over the past 7-year window, the student count grew 5%: 248 students in 2018 compared to 261 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 79% to 75% across the same window. Class-load math has fell: from 13.8:1 in 2018 to 11.9:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, the feed for Laning Avenue School typically covers school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.