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Hillside Innovation Academy

Q: Is Hillside Innovation Academy a good school?

Hillside Innovation Academy ranks 305 th of 743 New Jersey middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 7-8

305^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 743 New Jersey Middle Schools

Better than 59% of New Jersey middle schools

Summary

Hillside Innovation Academy is a small middle school in Hillside, New Jersey, serving 97 students in grades 7–8. Its clearest academic distinction is the contrast between exceptionally strong English Language Arts (ELA) results and standard-grade math scores that remain below the state.

ELA is a standout compared with both the state and nearby schools: in 2025–2026, 79% of 7th graders and 85% of 8th graders were proficient, versus 56% and 53% statewide and 43% and 46% in the Hillside Public School District. The school ranked second among nine nearby schools with results in both grades, just behind Terence C. Reilly School No 7. Math is a relative local strength but a state-level concern: proficiency was 30% in 7th grade and 18% in 8th, below state results of 38% and 23%, but above district results of 9% and 4%. Its 7th-grade math result ranked second among nearby schools with reported results, and its 8th-grade result ranked third. End-of-course Algebra I and Geometry results were stronger than the school’s standard-grade math results, so families should distinguish between those types of scores.

Over time, average ELA proficiency rose 11 points from 2022–2023 to 2025–2026, and the school’s advantage over the state grew from 15 to 28 points, though results fell from their 2024–2025 high. By contrast, average math proficiency fell 9 points over those years and shifted from 7 points above the state to 7 points below it; science also lost ground relative to the state. SchoolDigger ranks the school in the 59th percentile statewide, with 3 stars, in 2025–2026—down from the 74th–75th percentile in 2022–2024, but above the district’s 16th percentile and 1 star. SchoolDigger’s subgroup rankings indicate particularly strong results in serving Hispanic students (98th percentile, up from 82nd the previous year) and African American students (95th percentile). The 2024–2025 student-teacher ratio was 16.1:1, the highest among nearby schools; the free/reduced lunch eligible share was 67% that year, close to the nearby-school average of 67%.

Students ?

16.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$41,943

Per pupil spending ?

67.0%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

195 Virginia St-1100 Woodruff Ave
Hillside, NJ 07205

(908) 352-7664

District: Hillside Public School District

Racial breakdown:

African American:

61.9%

Hispanic:

25.8%

White:

8.2%

See top rated New Jersey middle schools

Compare Hillside Innovation Academy to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 74th percentile in 2023 → 59th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the New Jersey average (58% vs 42% meeting standards)

✓Above the New Jersey median (59th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 15 percentile points since 2023

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school58%

District avg24%

New Jersey avg42%

305^th of 743

New Jersey public middle schools ?

Top 41%▼ down 15 pts since 2023

From top 26% (2023) to top 41% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of New Jersey Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 2Middle Schools in the Hillside Public School District

510^th of 607Hillside Public School District among New Jersey districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2026	56.0	305 of 743	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	56.3	299 of 752	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	71.6	184 of 743	75.2%	★★★★☆
2023	69.1	198 of 748	73.5%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2026	89.6	15 of 331	95.5%	★★★★★
2025	77.7	44 of 359	87.7%	★★★★☆
2024	88.3	15 of 352	95.7%	★★★★★
2023	89.9	16 of 361	95.6%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2026	66.2	222 of 716	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	61.4	263 of 728	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	65.0	232 of 717	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	68.5	208 of 720	71.1%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2026	97.9	9 of 589	98.5%	★★★★★
2025	74.0	107 of 608	82.4%	★★★★☆
2024	84.1	54 of 589	90.8%	★★★★★
2023	68.0	135 of 587	77.0%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2026	78.0	62 of 590	89.5%	★★★★☆
2025	71.6	102 of 613	83.4%	★★★★☆
2024	89.3	27 of 584	95.4%	★★★★★
2023	85.9	31 of 568	94.5%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Jersey percentile	Rating
2026	75.7	153 of 714	78.6%	★★★★☆
2025	65.2	226 of 726	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	79.4	131 of 719	81.8%	★★★★☆
2023	75.1	155 of 718	78.4%	★★★★☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Hispanic (2026)98th percentile+40 vs school

African American (2026)95th percentile+37 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)89th percentile+31 vs school

Male (2026)79th percentile+20 vs school

Female (2026)69th percentile+10 vs school

By subject vs New Jersey (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts82%+28 vs state

Algebra I68%+19 vs state

Geometry58%~ state avg

Mathematics24%-7 vs state

Science17%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Hillside Innovation Academy

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				NJSLA-S Science (2026)		NJSLA English Language Arts (2026)						NJSLA Mathematics (2026)						NJSLA Algebra I (2026)			NJSLA Geometry (2026)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	NJSLA-S Science 5th Grade	NJSLA-S Science 8th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 3rd Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 4th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 5th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 6th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 7th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 8th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 3rd Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 4th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 5th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 6th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 7th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 8th Grade	NJSLA Algebra I 7th Grade	NJSLA Algebra I 8th Grade	NJSLA Algebra I End of Course	NJSLA Geometry 8th Grade	NJSLA Geometry End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Hillside Innovation Academy	Public	7-8	195 Virginia St-1100 Woodruff Ave	Hillside	07205	Union County	Hillside Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(908) 352-7664	97	6	16.1	67.0%	8 (8.2%)	60 (61.9%)	25 (25.8%)	2 (2.1%)	1 (1.0%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	56	305^th of 743 public middle schools	59.0%		56.3	299^th of 752 public middle schools	60.2%	6		17.1					79.1	85.1					30.0	17.6	69.5	66.7	68.3	58.3	58.3	$41,943	$1,002	$40,941
Walter O. Krumbiegel Middle School	Public	7-8	145 Hillside Ave	Hillside	07205	Union County	Hillside Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(908) 352-7664	323	30	10.7	73.1%	15 (4.6%)	178 (55.1%)	128 (39.6%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14.8	647^th of 743 public middle schools	12.9%		16.3	649^th of 752 public middle schools	13.7%	2		1.7					32.9	35.6					5.6	2.5		71.4	71.4			$26,262	$589	$25,673
Union Avenue Middle School	Public	6-8	427 Union Avenue	Irvington	07111	Essex County	Irvington Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 399-6885	735	47	15.8	79.9%	1 (0.1%)	495 (67.3%)	232 (31.6%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.4%)	2 (0.3%)	13.7	657^th of 743 public middle schools	11.6%		15	658^th of 752 public middle schools	12.5%	1		5.8				18.1	25.9	27.7				7.5	13.0	6.0		95.7	95.7			$21,824	$1,417	$20,407
Kawameeh Middle School	Public	5-8	490 David Terrace	Union	07083	Union County	Township of Union School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(908) 851-6570	729	57	12.7	43.2%	138 (18.9%)	251 (34.4%)	257 (35.3%)	57 (7.8%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	23 (3.2%)	63.3	240^th of 743 public middle schools	67.7%		56	301^st of 752 public middle schools	60.0%	61		21.6				56.4	64.3	64.2				36.1	39.4	38.7		96.2	96.2			$20,996	$56	$20,940
Terence C. Reilly School No 7	Public	2-8	436 First Avenue	Elizabeth	07206	Union County	Elizabeth Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(908) 436-6030	1,130	80	14.1	78.5%	81 (7.2%)	161 (14.2%)	838 (74.2%)	45 (4.0%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	66.5	223^rd of 743 public middle schools	70.0%		66.7	224^th of 752 public middle schools	70.2%	1	48.0	35.2	72.9	66.2	73.2	77.5	89.4	87.8	77.8	65.5	69.2	71.0			59.6		59.6	42.4	42.4	$18,888	$1,061	$17,827
Roselle Park Middle School	Public	6-8	57 W Grant Ave	Roselle Park	07204	Union County	Roselle Park Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(908) 245-1634	438	41	10.8	54.3%	109 (24.9%)	57 (13.0%)	242 (55.3%)	20 (4.6%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.5%)	7 (1.6%)	20.4	596^th of 743 public middle schools	19.8%		33.8	479^th of 752 public middle schools	36.3%	117		2.8				35.8	46.4	39.9				20.7	9.1	3.5	65.9	24.0	50.0	50.0	50.0	$21,647	$814	$20,833
Burnet Middle School	Public	5-8	1000 Caldwell Avenue	Union	07083	Union County	Township of Union School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(908) 851-6490	970	76	12.8	57.5%	106 (10.9%)	484 (49.9%)	266 (27.4%)	78 (8.0%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	33 (3.4%)	39.3	439^th of 743 public middle schools	40.9%		32.8	483^rd of 752 public middle schools	35.8%	44		9.8				43.9	52.9	44.2				31.7	27.9	20.5		100.0	100.0			$17,999	$399	$17,600
William F. Halloran School No.22	Public	2-8	612 Pulaski Street	Elizabeth	07202	Union County	Elizabeth Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(908) 436-4860	1,140	80	14.3	78.1%	125 (11.0%)	156 (13.7%)	826 (72.5%)	30 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	57.7	285^th of 743 public middle schools	61.6%		63.3	249^th of 752 public middle schools	66.9%	36	41.0	19.7	71.9	71.5	72.7	72.2	78.0	76.6	89.5	88.5	76.2	61.3			45.3		45.3	33.6	33.6	$19,109	$1,034	$18,075
University Middle School	Public	6-8	255 Myrtle Avenue	Irvington	07111	Essex County	Irvington Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 399-6879	719	60	11.9	76.8%	3 (0.4%)	443 (61.6%)	269 (37.4%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	11.9	671^st of 743 public middle schools	9.7%		9.5	717^th of 752 public middle schools	4.7%	46		4.2				24.2	25.1	27.2				11.3	10.1	3.2		42.6	42.6			$23,337	$1,413	$21,924
Leonard V Moore Middle School	Public	5-6	720 Locust St	Roselle	07203	Union County	Roselle Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(908) 298-2047	485	41	11.8	74.6%	10 (2.1%)	204 (42.1%)	258 (53.2%)	7 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	4 (0.8%)								(n/a)	4.5				26.7	34.2					17.5	13.7								$13,764	$794	$12,970

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