South Orange, New Jersey

South Orange schools are part of the highly regarded and richly awarded South Orange-Maplewood School District. Supported by an involved parent organization, a motivated and academically driven faculty, and a diverse student body, the District educates over 6,800 students each year. The student/teacher ratio across the district is 1:10, better than the national 1:11 average. South Orange prides itself on its music education program, which was recently named one of the finest in the country.

Columbia High School  – Grades 9-12

High School students in both South Orange and Maplewood attend Columbia High School which is a nationally recognized, progressive high school with a reputation for academic excellence. Approximately 1850 students are offered more than 20 AP courses, a wide array of elective courses including computer technology, filmmaking, television production, journalism, robotics. In addition, there are 50 extracurricular clubs and activities, 27 different sports offered, and 51 athletic teams. It is here that Ultimate Frisbee was invented in 1967. Columbia High School students are routinely recognized as National Merit Scholar Semifinalists, Commended Scholars, and National Achievement Scholar Semifinalists. Graduates attend an impressive roster of highly acclaimed 4-year colleges such as Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Brown, Dartmouth, Stanford, Boston College, Georgetown, MIT, Howard, Johns Hopkins, University of Virginia and more. The Columbia High School mascot is the Cougars and its colors are Black and Red.

South Orange Middle School – Grades 6-8

South Orange Middle School, grades six through eight, guides pupils academically and socially through the middle years and prepares them for the transition to high school. In addition to their well-structured academic foundation, middle school students also have access to character-building programs, arts education, and community activities. With the help of a team of dedicated teachers and guidance counselors, South Orange Middle School students learn to become lifelong critical thinkers, problem solvers and responsible citizens.

South Orange Elementary Schools

Students in grades kindergarten through five study English language arts, mathematics, science and social studies as their core academic subjects. Students also attend weekly related arts classes. Technology plays an important role in elementary education, and the special education services begin with pre-K programs. A strong support program is available for students needing additional assistance, and gifted enrichment programs are available to 4th and 5th graders. More than sixty foreign languages are spoken in the homes of South Orange-Maplewood students and ESL instruction is provided to students who are in need.

Marshall  (K-2)
Tuscan  (K-5)
Seth Boyden  (K-5)
Delia Bolden Elementary  (3-5)
Clinton  (K-5)
South Mountain  (K-5)

Private and Parochial Schools Near South Orange:

For those looking for private or parochial education, the following schools are just a few of the many excellent options near South Orange.

The Pingry School
Golda Och Academy
Delbarton School
Kent Place School
Oratory Prep
Saint Patrick’s School – Chatham
The Peck School
Montclair Kimberley Academy
The Morristown Beard School
Newark Academy
Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child
Seton Hall Prep

South Orange has two New Jersey Transit train stations (South Orange station and Mountain station) that provide quick and easy access to New York and/or Hoboken. The train ride to midtown is approximately 32 minutes during the rush hour. Annual parking permits  range from $300 to $480 annually depending on the location of the parking lot. Many of the residential neighborhoods are within walking distance of the train station, and there is a much-used jitney service; each trip is $1.

South Orange offers easy access to both I-78 and Route 280. The drive to the city takes about 25-minutes with no traffic, and Newark-Liberty airport is only 15-minutes away.