Art and Design High School

This profile cannot summarize state proficiency rates in detail — the dataset didn't include ELA, math, or science scores for this school, so direct academic comparison to the district's 73% ELA / 73% math benchmarks isn't possible here. What we can say is that the school supports a college-prep academic track alongside the studio work: AP courses are offered, ELL support is available for the substantial share of multilingual learners, and a world languages program rounds out the schedule. With 22% of students classified as IEP and roughly half facing economic need, academic support infrastructure clearly matters here.

The discipline picture here is striking: zero suspensions in the most recent reporting year, against a district average that hovers above 0.3% — this is one of the most orderly climates in the data set. Families report strong ties to the school: 96% trust the principal, 95% trust their child's teacher, and 92% are satisfied overall — all at or above the District 2 norm. Teachers feel good about the quality of instruction they deliver (94%, well above the district's ~90%) and rate collegial trust at 85%, though teacher-to-principal trust at 83% is a touch lower than the family-side numbers — worth knowing if you're a parent who values faculty voice in school decisions.

The student body is one of the most diverse in the city, with a 77% diversity index and a Hispanic plurality (42%), substantial White (24%) and Black (13%) populations, and a meaningful Asian contingent (10%). Roughly half the students qualify as economically disadvantaged, and 22% have IEPs — a very different demographic profile than the surrounding neighborhood, where median household income tops $166,000 and only about 10% of households include children. That gap tells the story of an audition school: families commit to a commute and a creative track regardless of what their immediate block looks like.

East Midtown-Turtle Bay is one of Manhattan's more affluent and professionally settled pockets — a neighborhood of diplomats, finance workers, and longtime renters, with bachelor's-degree attainment above 83% and a median home value north of $1 million. Despite all that residential stability, the area has relatively few families with kids on the block, which means the school's daily foot traffic comes mostly from commuters rather than the immediate surroundings. Families who do live within a few blocks get the perk of a calm, established Midtown setting rather than a school in the middle of a chaotic commercial strip.

The school is well-served by transit: the E and F at Lexington Av/53 St are about a 4-minute walk, the 4, 5, and 6 at 59 St are about 5 minutes, and the N, R, and W at Lexington Av/59 St are also roughly a 5-minute walk — making it one of the easier commute destinations in the borough.