Westfield NJ Schools: Guide, Renovations and Timeline

Westfield, NJ has 10 public schools: Lincoln Early Childhood Center, six elementary schools, two intermediate schools and Westfield High School. Voters approved major renovations and kindergarten classroom additions in April 2025. Construction is underway, with districtwide full-day kindergarten targeted for September 2028, subject to construction progress and separate operating funding.

For families, the school construction program matters in practical ways: where children begin kindergarten, how classrooms are used, when a library reopens and whether morning drop-off changes. It also represents a substantial investment for residents whose children have already graduated or who do not have children in the district.

This guide brings the school directory and building plans together. It covers Westfield Public Schools in Union County, New Jersey, with official links for enrollment, school assignments and project updates.

Information checked November 2, 2026. School grades reflect the 2026–2027 handbook. Construction status draws on the district’s October 1 dashboard and an October 29 report of its subsequent update, linked below. Future dates are targets or scheduled bidding milestones; they are not confirmation that work is finished.

Westfield public schools: names, grades and addresses

The current path is Pre-K and kindergarten at Lincoln, grades 1–5 at an elementary school, grades 6–8 at an intermediate school and grades 9–12 at Westfield High School. The district calls its two middle schools “intermediate schools.” These grade ranges come from the 2026–2027 Student-Parent Handbook.

School websites are linked in the profiles below. For a particular home, use the district’s school assignment resources; proximity to a building alone does not confirm enrollment there.

What is the latest Westfield school construction update?

The first summer projects have reached different stages. The district’s October 1, 2026 construction dashboard identifies the following work as substantially complete:

• Washington’s playground replacement.
• Franklin’s new drive loop.
• Student restroom renovations at Tamaques, Wilson and Westfield High School.

That dashboard still listed Franklin’s canopy and rooftop HVAC relocation as unfinished, along with the Edison and Roosevelt learning commons. Franklin’s entrance steps, landing and ramp were already open. “Substantially complete” is the district’s reported project status; remaining finishing work can still follow.

What changed in the later October update?

Patch’s October 29 report of the district’s update adds these developments:

• Electrical work: upgrades are planned at every school except Lincoln, with the switch to new services scheduled for summer 2027.
• Franklin: rooftop HVAC relocation remained underway.
• Edison and Roosevelt: media center renovations were taking longer than originally expected.
• McKinley: construction trailers were on site ahead of its addition and renovations.
• Washington: the team was addressing grading and rainwater runoff.

For a child’s daily arrival route or access to a school space, follow the school’s own current notices. A districtwide progress report is useful context, but it cannot replace a principal’s instructions for that campus.

Westfield school renovation and construction timeline

The sequence matters: a bid date comes before a contract award, and an award comes before completion. The November and December dates below are anticipated Board consideration, not completed approvals.

Sources: the approved referendum overview, district’s summer construction announcement and October 29 construction report. Later intermediate- and high-school bidding schedules were still to be announced in that report.

There is no single verified completion date for every building in these updates. A restroom renovation can finish while an addition, electrical project or auditorium renovation at the same school is still ahead. Treat the kindergarten launch as a program target, rather than a promise that every referendum project will finish on the same day.

Each Westfield school and its renovation plans

The approved program combines everyday building needs with additional teaching space. Across the elementary, intermediate and high schools, the plan includes classroom heating and cooling upgrades, restroom work and more useful instructional space. The district’s explanation of the building needs describes why those changes matter: some support instruction uses improvised spaces, and existing rooms must serve competing purposes.

The school-specific highlights below summarize the district’s school-by-school referendum plans. Those materials establish the intended scope; the dated construction updates above establish the reported progress. Early renderings are concepts, not photographs of completed additions.

Lincoln Early Childhood Center

Pre-K and kindergarten · 728 Westfield Avenue. Lincoln is the starting point for the district’s youngest students. The current general kindergarten program has morning and afternoon half-day sessions. Families considering a longer day should review the separate Kindergarten Wrap information, including its lottery process.

What changes: the future plan moves kindergarten into the six elementary schools. The district’s kindergarten planning page says Lincoln’s newly available space could support expanded preschool and other educational services. Its final configuration should not be treated as settled. Lincoln is not a seventh elementary-school kindergarten addition.

Franklin Elementary School

Grades 1–5 · 700 Prospect Street. Franklin is one of the six neighborhood elementary schools. Its construction program is especially visible around arrival and dismissal, making school notices worth checking even for families who already know the campus well.

Plan highlights: five classrooms supporting kindergarten, another multipurpose room and playground expansion. The latest status section distinguishes the usable drive loop and entrance features from the remaining work. Families will see the project unfold in stages as access improvements lead into the larger building changes.

Jefferson Elementary School

Grades 1–5 · 1200 Boulevard. Jefferson serves elementary students at its Boulevard campus. Families researching its future should look at both parts of the building program: space for incoming kindergarten classes and space for enrollment growth.

Plan highlights: a five-classroom kindergarten addition, further classrooms for enrollment and another multipurpose room. Jefferson has its own December bidding and anticipated award milestones in the construction timeline. A later construction schedule will be the useful next reference for when students can use the new rooms.

McKinley Elementary School

Grades 1–5 · 500 First Street. McKinley is the district’s First Street elementary school. Its plans address the space available for young children and student support within the existing building.

Plan highlights: four classrooms supporting kindergarten and an expanded nurse’s office. The later October update describes the preparation for the addition and renovations. Families should use campus communications for temporary access arrangements while that larger project progresses.

Tamaques Elementary School

Grades 1–5 · 641 Willow Grove Road. Tamaques is an elementary school on Willow Grove Road. Its building program and the Tamaques Park redesign are separate projects overseen by different public bodies.

Plan highlights: five classrooms supporting kindergarten, plus classrooms addressing enrollment growth. Its first restroom project appears in the substantially complete group above. For the next phase, the November bidding and anticipated award dates are the milestones to watch.

Washington Elementary School

Grades 1–5 · 900 Saint Marks Avenue. Washington has an important role in the kindergarten transition because its plan also accommodates programs moving from another campus.

Plan highlights: four classrooms supporting kindergarten and space for special education programs relocating from Wilson. The district’s original summer announcement connects playground work to preparation for the addition. Read the October updates together: the playground’s reported completion and subsequent site work describe different parts of the project.

Wilson Elementary School

Grades 1–5 · 301 Linden Avenue. Wilson is included in the full-day kindergarten plan even though its property cannot accommodate an addition.

Plan highlights: create kindergarten space inside the existing building as special education programs move to Washington. This makes Wilson’s transition connected to work at Washington. The two schools should be read together when reviewing future program locations; families should confirm any individual student’s placement directly with the district.

Edison Intermediate School

Grades 6–8 · 800 Rahway Avenue. Edison is one of Westfield’s two intermediate schools, serving the middle-school years between elementary school and Westfield High.

Plan highlights: a flexible media center, gym and cafeteria air conditioning, and teaching space in former locker rooms. The media center is also called a “learning commons” in project updates. It belongs to the first construction phase; other building improvements have their own schedules. See the latest reported status before assuming the renovated space is open.

Roosevelt Intermediate School

Grades 6–8 · 301 Clark Street. Roosevelt serves Westfield’s other intermediate-school community. Families arriving from elementary school can use its website for school-specific calendars, student activities and transition information.

Plan highlights: a flexible media center, gym and cafeteria air conditioning, and additional teaching space in former locker rooms. Edison and Roosevelt share a media-center project package, with work taking place at both campuses. Roosevelt’s own notices will provide the most useful reopening information for its students.

Westfield High School

Grades 9–12 · 550 Dorian Road. Westfield High School is the district’s comprehensive public high school. Its website connects families with course selection, counseling, practical and performing arts, clubs and athletics. Those resources are more useful for understanding a student’s options than a single school-ranking score.

Plan highlights: auditorium and media-center modernization, accessible athletic training space, locker-room renovations, and an addition for special education, individualized instruction and a relocated wood shop. The summer restroom work is one piece of that broader program. Future updates should identify the schedules for the auditorium, addition and other major work separately.

When will Westfield have full-day kindergarten?

The target is September 2028, for the 2028–2029 school year. The district’s full-day kindergarten plan places kindergarten in the six neighborhood elementary schools. Five schools need additions; Wilson would use reconfigured space.

The bond approval funds construction. Additional staffing requires a separate operating-budget process, which the district’s published plan says requires voter approval. The intended opening therefore depends on more than finishing classrooms.

For a child entering kindergarten before that transition, start with the current registration and Wrap Program instructions. A Wrap placement and the future districtwide full-day program are different arrangements. Confirm the program available for your child’s actual entry year.

Which Westfield school will my child attend?

Confirm the exact address with the district. Its Moving to Westfield page provides a street index and school-boundary map and directs families to call 908-789-4414 to confirm an assignment.

That is particularly useful before signing a lease or buying a home. A real-estate listing, a nearby school or a map pin is not the district’s enrollment confirmation. Ask about both elementary and intermediate assignment, along with any program-specific placement.

How to register for Westfield Public Schools

1. Open the official student registration portal and choose the correct school year and grade.
2. Review its age eligibility, residency and health-document requirements before starting the application.
3. Use the registration contact list for questions about a particular school.

Submit student records through the district’s system. For preschool, use its dedicated Pre-K instructions rather than assuming the kindergarten registration process applies.

Where to find school calendars, hours and academic information

• District academic and holiday calendars for school-year planning.
• 2026–2027 school hours for regular days, delayed openings and early dismissals.
• Curriculum, instruction and assessment for what students study.
• New Jersey School Performance Reports for official district and school data. Select Westfield in Union County and check the reporting year.

When comparing schools, look at the courses, services and activities relevant to your child as well as performance data. Reports describe a particular year; construction plans describe a future campus. Keeping those time frames separate makes for a more useful comparison.

How much do the Westfield school renovations cost?

Voters approved two separate bond proposals on April 15, 2025: approximately $188.7 million for school building improvements and $37.2 million for space supporting full-day kindergarten. Together, that is approximately $225.9 million. The district’s referendum overview also identifies up to $57.5 million in state debt service aid.

Debt service aid supports repayment; it should not be described as an upfront construction grant. Bond authorization also differs from the amount of a particular awarded contract. As construction advances, contract awards and project updates are the records to consult for individual packages.

For the separate question of reading and paying a household tax bill, see my Westfield property tax guide. The district’s bond materials are the appropriate source for the school program’s financing.

Where to follow the next construction decisions

The Westfield Board of Education and school district are the sources for school construction decisions. Start with the referendum project dashboard, then check current Board agendas, minutes and meeting recordings for awards and schedule changes.

The next useful checkpoints are the anticipated November and December contract decisions, updated opening information for the learning commons, and later announcements about kindergarten staffing and implementation. Those records will help families follow the work from contract approval through the opening of new spaces.

For family outings beyond the school day, my things to do in Westfield guide covers parks, downtown stops, restaurants and activities.