529 Laurel Pl
South Orange, NJ 07079

This school educates critical thinkers. Because it is socioeconomically and racially diverse, it also teaches it students how to get along with and work productively with those who are different from themselves. We have seen its graduates, go out into the world and leave interesting, productive lives.

The teachers are really great, especially for kids with IEP’s. The guidance counselors are wonderful. The principal is awful. She is totally unresponsive to emails and challenges kids are experiencing in the school, including bullying. She plays favorites. There is so much more this school could be doing to promote social/emotional wellbeing of the kids. My kids are unhappy every day they come home from school.

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.