41 MOUNTAIN AVENUE, Maplewood, NJ 07040

Clinton is a fantastic school with a vibrant, multi-cultural community, excellent teachers, and a proactive administration. There is definitely a sense of pride and a welcoming community. The inclusion classrooms are a HUGE plus for parents of students with special needs. Our son is thriving in his inclusion class and we have seen a major improvements in his development across the board.

So far the teachers are good, my child has been there for 2 years. The teachers are pretty responsive when you bring up concerns. Principal Hutchinson is great, very visible and knows her kids by name and personality. Overall good school.

My daughter has learned an incredible amount during her time at Marshall. In kindergarten, her reading skills improved significantly and she's getting a great math foundation. She loves the way play has been incorporated into the curriculum. The teachers seem to really care about the students and work hard to make sure they are getting what they need. The specialists: art, library, music and PE seem to be very good as well.

The school lacks diversity in its staff. There are no minority males teachers and a handful of minority female teachers for a majority minority based school. The school state test results for reading and math are subpar but there are no extra curricular reading or math programs offered. The I & RS programs do not support the curriculum being taught in the class room thus the students in the I & RS programs will never be current. The drum program and stepping programs show a lack of creativity to engage students. The schools administers have not provided an environment to enhance all students to learn. The bar is lowered for the student population instead of raised. Teachers are not encourage to be creative in learning. Male teachers have no say in the learning process. The after school programs are YMCA based and not academic. The school is safe and friendly. Parents are kind and care. The students love their school and are great.

My 2 children have attended South Mountain Elementary ("The Big School") and South Mountain Annex (just down the street) over the past 4 years. Strong academic and social emotional focus at these schools. Homework was light K-2, but picked up around 3rd grade. Older grades focus on teaching grit and self-reliance. When one of my children started falling behind in reading, the school connected him with a reading specialist who worked with him in a small group until he caught up to the rest of the class. Now he's reading at a grade level above expectation, thanks to the individual attention. His confidence is back and he's excelling across subjects. When my other child started showing developmental delays, the school provided in-class supports to ensure he has what he needs to succeed. Strong PTA and community engagement -- fall/spring festivals, back to school night, book fairs. The kids take walking field trips to the Reservation, plus bus trips to the zoo or local museums/arboretums. The Kindergarten kids have their own "Kinder Garden." There is a social worker in the school who helps children with food/resource insecurity or other family issues. There is a musical for kids in the older grades. Lots of diversity compared to other towns nearby - in fact, 17% of the kids at South Mountain identify as mixed race. Cultural day is awesome, as lots of kids have interesting and unique backgrounds and food/religious cultures to share. The one piece of critical feedback that I have is around the overall liberal mindset of this town overall, and its impact on learning. When we prioritize funding and overall resourcing at the district-level, sometimes big ideas take precedence over practical application. For example, during Covid, we were so preoccupied with keeping schools closed (in the name of equity, moreso than safety, as data showed that kids were relatively insulated from the worst of the effects of the pandemic), we unfortunately let learning slip for ALL groups.

Please do not send your children here if they have any special needs or are neurodiverse. The district is cutting every corner, and you will need to advocate for what other districts will happily offer. There are wide-spread bullying issues starting in middle school and the facilities are a joke. For an inclusive town, the schools have been a disappointment.