Washington Elementary School

Located at 289 MAIN ST, in W ORANGE, New Jersey, Washington Elementary School is a middle-of-the-pack elementary campus that teaches 414 students (grades pre-K through 5), part of West Orange Public Schools.

Across the 13 schools in West Orange Public Schools (6,616 students total), Washington Elementary School accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

On demographics, Washington Elementary School logs that Hispanic students make up the majority at 62%. Other groups include 30% Black, 4% multiracial, 3% White. That is noticeably more Hispanic than the county at large, where the share is closer to 25%.

Looking at school resources, Staff filings list 46 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 9.0:1 students per teacher. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 11.4:1, putting Washington Elementary School tighter than the state norm the norm. Around 75% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. Set against Essex County (around 54%), the school's rate is meaningfully above typical.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, Washington Elementary School ranks in the top 10% of New Jersey public schools. The BeatsExpectations model, a per-state regression of composite proficiency on FRL share, predicts schools with this student profile to land around 25.3%; Washington Elementary School posts 40.4%, +15.1 points above that line.

In the area at large, community-level numbers for Essex County indicate median household earnings sit near $80,789, roughly 39% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 11%. Washington Elementary School is one of 249 public schools in Essex County (combined enrollment of about 145,473 students).

Nearest neighbor: Edison Middle School, around 0.2 miles off. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Washington Elementary School at 2nd of 5; the average score across the group is 34.2%.

The campus sits in a bedroom-community setting.

Looking at the recent track record. Washington Elementary School's enrollment has showed little movement since 2018, when it stood at 413 (now 414). The Black share of enrollment shrank from 37% to 30% over that span. Class-load math has pulled in: from 10.3:1 in 2018 to 9.0:1 in 2025.

Within the allk12 community for this school, the feed for Washington Elementary School typically covers school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.