West Essex Middle School

As an average-sized middle-grades school in NORTH CALDWELL, New Jersey, West Essex Middle School serves 558 students from grades 7 through 8, part of West Essex Regional School District.

West Essex Regional School District runs 2 schools in total, collectively educating 1,619 students. West Essex Middle School is one of those campuses.

For racial and ethnic makeup, West Essex Middle School records that White students make up the majority at 75%; the rest breaks down as 11% Hispanic, 8% Asian, 3% Black, 3% multiracial. The wider county runs roughly 30% White, putting the school's mix meaningfully more White than the area baseline.

On the resource side, On paper, West Essex Middle School has 60 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 9.4:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 10.9:1 average. An estimated 5% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. Set against Essex County (around 54%), the school's rate is noticeably below typical.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), West Essex Middle School performs roughly as the BeatsExpectations model predicts for a school with this FRL share. The predicted value is around 63.5%, the actual is 58.6%, a residual of -4.9 points.

In the broader community, the surrounding county (Essex County) logs that median household earnings sit near $80,789, about 39% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and roughly 11% of residents live below the federal poverty line. West Essex Middle School is one of 249 public schools in Essex County (combined enrollment of about 145,473 students).

The closest other public school is West Essex High School, roughly 0.2 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts West Essex Middle School at 2nd of 4; the average score across the group is 57.0%.

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

Five-year trend. West Essex Middle School's enrollment has remained close to its prior level since 2018, when it stood at 554 (now 558). White enrollment moved from 86% to 75% across the same window.

On the community side, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Members of the school community can share what they know.