Best Public Schools in Rutherford, NJ

The city of Rutherford, New Jersey is home to 5 schools, including 2 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 1 high school. The Rutherford School District as a whole performs well, ranking 158th out of 609 districts in New Jersey and earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Two schools stand out in particular: Union School, a middle school that ranks 62nd out of 752 New Jersey middle schools and earns a 5-star rating, and Lincoln School, an elementary school that ranks 30th out of 1,338 New Jersey elementary schools and also earns a 5-star rating. These schools have impressive test scores, with Union School boasting 95.6% of 8th graders proficient or better in Algebra I, and Lincoln School exceeding state and district averages in English Language Arts and Math proficiency for 3rd graders.

While the Rutherford school district generally performs well, with high graduation rates and low dropout rates at the high school level, there is a concern around the 14.9% chronic absenteeism rate across all schools. Additionally, there is a noticeable difference in performance between the elementary and middle schools, with the middle schools significantly outperforming the elementary schools. The district's relatively low free/reduced lunch rates suggest it serves a relatively affluent student population, which may contribute to the strong academic performance.