71 Hillside Ave
Short Hills, NJ 07078

I feel like this school generally holds students back in comparison to going to a random school in NJ or any other state. It is just as competitive as an elite private school while having barely any of the benefits. Everyone there is under constant stress to try to be the best in an environment full of people like them so the people that do do good on academics have to almost give up half of their extracurriculars to do so. Also, in comparison to places around us sure the acceptance rate to top schools are high but that was never because of our school but rather because these people were destined for that anyways. In this school anyone would backstab their "bestfriends" if that meant they got into a better college. Millburn does give a lot of opportunities but is it worth the stress?

This middle school is fairly average, earning a 3 out of 5 stars from me. There are some strong points, such as a handful of dedicated teachers who clearly care about their students and go the extra mile to make learning engaging. The school also offers a decent range of extracurricular activities, including band and sports, which help students explore their interests beyond the classroom. The facilities are relatively modern, with a nice library that enhance the learning experience. However, there are also notable drawbacks. Communication from the administration is often inconsistent, with important updates coming late or not at all. Behavior management can also be hit or miss—some disruptive students are not dealt with effectively, which affects the overall classroom environment. Academically, the curriculum feels uneven; while some classes are challenging and well-structured, others lack rigor and can feel repetitive. Students who need either more support or more challenge might not always get what they need. Overall, the school does an adequate job, but there's room for improvement in both leadership and academic consistency.

Hartshorn is a fantastic school. We've had 3 children go through Hartshorn (2 are still there currently). The school is extremely well run from the administration to the support staff. The teachers we've had have all been quite different, but equally excellent, and our kids have all loved their teachers. Our kids seem far ahead of friends' kids in neighboring school districts in language arts and math (i.e. my kids were all reading chapter books and doing basic addition and subtraction by mid-Kindergarten). The school also feels like a nice community of parents who deeply value their children's' education. There also seems to be a very, very strong support system in place for kids who are have difficulties or delayed. My kids have been in class with numerous kids who have 1on1 aides, and kids are sent out of class regularly for extra help in needed areas. While my kids did not need extra support, what I've realized when talking to friends with kids in other districts is that my kids benefitted tremendously indirectly from their peers having extra support. While friends with kids in neighboring districts would describe disruptive kids and struggling kids in class alongside their kids, we found that Hartshorn / Millburn thankfully has the resources so that any behind or disruptive kids have aides, receive extra help, and/or are pulled out of class - this hugely benefits the rest of the class, as friends in neighboring districts describe entire classes disrupted by one child who could have benefitted from extra support that the district did not provide.