4 Maple Ave
West Orange, NJ 07052

Our Som has been in the West Orange Public school system for 5 years going into 8th grade. We are very happy and love all his teachers.

As a parent and as an educator, I have had experience with many schools, and this is BY FAR the BEST!The administration has created a safe, supportive, positive environment in which all kinds of different students thrive.The teachers are engaged and caring, working with students both in the classroom and outside of regular hours, meeting during office hours after school, responding to emails, and including parents in strategies to support the students at home.This school includes children with learning differences, disabilities, social and economic challenges, and makes them all feel valued and heard. There are a lot of kids on the LGBTQ+ spectrum, including several non-binary students, and the teachers and staff respect their pronouns and preferred names. The rating for this school is misleading, as it does not take into account all of these factors, and the success the students have experienced here, while they might have failed elsewhere. Liberty may(?) have better gifted programs, but for all other kids, there is no school that would better serve them. Also, other schools do not create the safe, supportive environment for students who would often be targets at other schools. The principal, Mr. Hush, has created a culture in the school that is second to none. I wish my child could stay through high school!

Academic is a very important part of education, I think St. CLOUD does a very good job in that area. Greater access to STEM programs would be wonderful!!!