West Orange High School

West Orange High School, a well-populated four-year high school in WEST ORANGE, New Jersey, operated by West Orange Public Schools, instructs 2,106 students, covering grades 9 through 12. Enrollment runs roughly 127% larger than the state mean of about 929.

West Orange Public Schools runs 13 schools in total, collectively educating 6,616 students. West Orange High School is one of those campuses.

Looking at the student body, West Orange High School reports that the most-represented group is Black (38%), with the rest of the student body spread across multiple groups. The remainder reads as 37% Hispanic, 15% White, 5% multiracial, 4% Asian. That composition is broadly in line with Essex County as a whole.

Looking at the economic backdrop, West Orange High School logs 188 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 11.2:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 12.7:1, putting West Orange High School tighter than the state norm the norm. Roughly 44% of students at West Orange High School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. By comparison, Essex County runs at roughly 54%, so the school's eligibility rate is somewhat below the surrounding baseline.

With demographic context factored in, West Orange High School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 42.1%; this one delivers 39.0%.

In the area at large, ACS estimates for Essex County put median household income runs about $80,789, 39% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 11%. Across Essex County's 249 public schools (combined enrollment of about 145,473 students), West Orange High School is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Kelly Elementary School, roughly 0.1 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around West Orange High School. Among the 6 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), West Orange High School ranks 6th on composite proficiency, behind the local average of 55.3%.

The school occupies a commuter-belt site.

Trend over the last 7 years. Over the past 7-year window, the student count remained close to its prior level: 2,095 students in 2018 compared to 2,106 in 2025. Hispanic enrollment moved from 28% to 37% across the same window.

In the discussion threads here, members of the West Orange High School community share and discuss open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.