Bridge Preparatory Charter School

Test scores place Bridge Preparatory well below the Staten Island district average — ELA proficiency sits at 28.6% versus the district's 61.3%, and math at 24.1% versus 61%. These numbers reflect a school still finding its academic footing. The overall quality score of 1.05 out of 4 is the lowest in District 31, where the average is 2.45. However, there's a hopeful trend: ELA proficiency has grown from 15.6% in 2022 to 28.6% in 2025, nearly doubling over four years. Math improved through 2024 but dipped slightly in the most recent year. Grade-level data shows Grade 5 students outperforming peers in ELA (37.3%) while Grade 4 leads in math (30.4%), suggesting some grade-level pockets of stronger instruction.

The school has no recent family survey data to draw from — only one family responded in 2025, resulting in a 0% effective response rate — so the usual climate indicators are largely unavailable. What we do know: attendance is a significant concern, with 87.9% daily attendance (below the 91.4% district average) and nearly half of students (47.8%) chronically absent. Chronic absenteeism hits across demographic groups similarly, around 47-48% for both genders and ranging from 43% for Hispanic students to nearly 58% for white students. With 66% of students having IEPs — an extraordinarily high proportion — the school clearly serves a high-need population. Without survey data, the day-to-day culture is difficult to fully assess, but the attendance patterns suggest families may be struggling with engagement or logistics.

Bridge Preparatory serves 199 students in a school that looks demographically different from its surrounding neighborhood. While the Todt Hill-Emerson Hill area is 74.7% homeowner-occupied with a median household income of $107,000 and predominantly white population, the school itself is 37% Hispanic, 30% Black, and 29% white, with only 1% Asian students. The diversity index of 68% reflects a more mixed student body than the neighborhood's composition. With 65.4% economic need and 66% of students receiving special education services, the school is serving a population with substantial support needs — many more IEP students than typical, which may explain some of the academic and attendance challenges.

The school sits in one of Staten Island's most stable, family-oriented neighborhoods. Safety scores are high (87th percentile), the area has a strong education orientation (80th percentile), and stability ranks in the 91st percentile — meaning most residents have lived there for years. However, transit access is extremely limited (18th percentile), so families will need a car. The neighborhood is dominated by single-family homes with a 74.7% homeownership rate, and median home values exceed $800,000. For families who live nearby, it's a quiet, residential area with good walkability within the immediate blocks, though getting to school from farther-flung parts of Staten Island requires driving.

The neighborhood is highly walkable within its residential streets, but very limited public transit (only 18th percentile) means most families drive. This is a car-dependent area of Staten Island.