Brilla College Preparatory Charter School

Brilla's test scores place it above the District 7 average in both subjects — 61.2% proficiency in ELA versus the district's 51.3%, and 57.9% in math versus 49%. Looking at the grade-level breakdown, middle school students (grades 6-8) are performing strongest, with 8th graders showing 72.9% ELA proficiency and 64.8% math proficiency — genuinely strong results. However, there's a notable gap in younger grades, particularly 5th grade math at 45.2%. The school has shown real improvement from a dip in 2022-2024, bouncing back to exceed its 2019 pre-pandemic performance in both subjects.

The survey data reveals a school that families love but where teachers have some concerns. Parent trust metrics are exceptional — 98% trust between parents and teachers, 97% trust in the principal — and 98% of families responded to the survey, showing deep engagement. However, teacher-reported safety (76%) falls below the district average (80.5%), and teacher-principal trust (81%) suggests some tension in the adult culture. The chronic absenteeism rate of 70.5% is extraordinarily high and likely reflects the socioeconomic challenges of the neighborhood rather than school culture issues. With 25% of students having IEPs, the school has a substantial special education population.

Brilla serves 790 students in a school that mirrors its neighborhood's demographics: 77% Hispanic, 20% Black, with virtually no white or Asian enrollment. Nearly all students (90.8%) come from economically needy households, and a quarter have Individualized Education Programs. The economic need index is one of the highest in the city. This is a school serving families with significant resource constraints — low homeownership, limited college-educated adults in the neighborhood — yet those families are deeply invested in their children's education, as evidenced by the near-universal survey response rate.

Mott Haven-Port Morris is one of the city's most economically challenged neighborhoods, with a 40.1% poverty rate and only 12.2% of adults holding bachelor's degrees. Safety concerns are real — the neighborhood scores just 16.86 on safety percentile rankings, and environmental health indicators (lead exposure, asthma rates) are troubling. However, transit access is moderate (48.28 percentile), and the area has a strong stability score (66.67), suggesting long-established community ties. Families here are raising children in conditions that require resilience, and the school operates within that context.

The school is in a walkable urban neighborhood, though parents should be aware of the safety considerations that come with the area's crime density and traffic patterns. Many families walk or take public transit.