Beginning with Children Charter School II

This charter outperforms District 14 averages — ELA at 66% versus the district's 62.4%, and math at 67.7% versus 59.5% — earning a 2.67 overall score compared to the district's 2.44. But the story varies wildly by grade: elementary students in grades 3-5 are posting exceptional scores (87% ELA and 97%+ math in grade 3), while middle school math drops sharply, hitting just 20% in grade 8. The 2024-2025 school year brought a major ELA rebound from 51.9% to 66%, suggesting recent academic interventions are working. Parents should know that the high school years don't have test score data available, so the K-8 strength doesn't necessarily extend through graduation.

The survey numbers are striking: 97% of parents report satisfaction and trust in both teachers and the principal, while teachers give 99% marks for instruction quality and 100% for school safety. That's as strong as any school data you'll find. But there's a tension underneath — chronic absenteeism sits at 69.7%, nearly 30 percentage points higher than the district average, and it affects female students slightly more than males (72% vs 67.4%). The family survey response rate is low at 29%, which means these glowing numbers come from a committed subset of families. Teachers report strong collegial trust (91%), suggesting the day-to-day working environment is healthy. There's no suspension rate data listed, but given the charter environment and high trust scores, discipline likely operates differently than traditional district schools.

This is a predominantly Hispanic school (81%) serving a neighborhood that matches that profile — South Williamsburg has a large Latino population and the lowest BA+ education rate in the dataset (17.4%). With 87.2% economic need and 23% IEP students, the population is high-need. At 468 students across 13 grades, class sizes average 21.6 — essentially identical to the district average. The diversity index is low at 33% because the school is so heavily Hispanic, which means this isn't a culturally diverse environment — it's a community school serving its immediate population.

South Williamsburg is a high-poverty, high-transit, family-dense neighborhood. The median household income of $38,784 is among the lowest around, nearly half of residents live in poverty, and only 17% have college degrees. On the plus side, it's extremely well-connected by transit (87th percentile) and packed with families (85th percentile for family density). The safety score of 46 is concerning — crime density is high and 21% of children have elevated lead levels, which is a genuine environmental health concern for families. The median home value of $815,797 reflects Brooklyn's general real estate market more than neighborhood wealth.

The area is highly walkable given its urban density and strong transit access. Families from surrounding blocks can walk; those coming from further may rely on the subway.