School #3

School #3, a cozy K-5 school in CLIFTON, New Jersey, run under Clifton Public School District, caters to 257 students, covering grades pre-K through 5. That puts it 37% below the typical public school in New Jersey, which averages around 405 students.

School #3 is one of 19 schools operated by Clifton Public School District, a district that teaches 10,516 students overall.

For racial and ethnic makeup, School #3 lists that the largest single group is Hispanic, at 59% of enrollment; the rest looks like 31% White, 5% Asian. The wider county runs roughly 44% Hispanic, putting the school's mix visibly more Hispanic than the area baseline.

In terms of school funding signals, Staff filings list 19 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 13.5:1 students per teacher. The state averages around 11.4:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. Roughly 70% of students at School #3 qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. Set against Passaic County (around 61%), the school's rate is north of typical.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), School #3 tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 27.8% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 38.8%.

In the broader community, census data for Passaic County shows the typical household earns roughly $87,522 per year, roughly 31% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 11% of residents live below the federal poverty line. School #3 is one of 155 public schools in Passaic County (combined enrollment of about 83,237 students).

The closest other public school is Christopher Columbus Middle School, roughly 0.4 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around School #3. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts School #3 at 4th of 9; the average score across the group is 33.9%.

The campus sits in a residential setting.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count declined 13%: 294 students in 2018 compared to 257 in 2025. The student-to-teacher ratio narrowed from 14.7:1 in 2018 to 13.5:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.