Hartshorn Elementary School

400 HARTSHORN DRIVE

School District

Millburn Township
Grade

K-4
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:14
Type

public

School Map for Millburn Township School District

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on January 23, 2025

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.
Submitted by parent on October 04, 2024

Hartshorn Elementary School is overrated. They do very little teaching of reading fundamentals which can lead to deficits in accuracy and fluency. We had our son there from K to 3rd grade and had him evaluated numerous times for reading ability. We were told every time that he was "on grade level". We also paid several teachers from the school to privately tutor our son in reading. Again, same issue. We moved to a different school district and had him evaluated there, which revealed he was nearly a full year behind grade lever and had "obvious" signs of decoding problems. We feel like we "did everything we can" to get our son extra help while at Hartshorn, and the teachers there either ignored or were incompetent to diagnose a clear problem. While at school, our son also suffered due to consistent attendance problems from his teacher, which he was assigned to in two grades. There seems to be a persistent attitude at Hartshorn that the kids will just figure it out, or if they struggle, leave for private school. I would strongly encourage anyone who is considering moving to Short Hills or Millburn for the schools to assess whether this school district lives up to its reputation.
Submitted by parent on July 14, 2021

This is a great school. The community is wonderful and the teachers are caring.
Submitted by parent on May 21, 2013

Fantastic school--one of the best in the area. There is a new energetic new principal who is devoted and very knowledgeable about education. The teachers are all better than the next. The curriculum is surprisingly demanding but somehow, the kids get there. There is tremendous creativity in the teaching methods--math is Everyday Math, and it is very well taught. The writing program is incredible. Best of all, for a public school, H/S has an impressive arts program with strong showings in strings, arts and music theory. We have an imaginative computer teacher (the incredible Mr. Demel) and for SPanish, the kids use iPads and Rosetta Stone. A vibrant PTO, a welcoming community--this school has it all.
Submitted by parent on May 16, 2011

Fantastic school, fantastic teachers! I have two kids in school and they are both doing great! It's amazing how supportive and caring the teachers and staff are at the school - truly a family atmosphere.
Submitted by parent on April 27, 2011

Our 3 children (one with special needs) have attended this school for over 10 years. The administrative staff and teachers are simply a-one. Walk the hallways, meet the staff, and you will have the same warm, nurturing feeling we do. A top-notch education!