At a Glance
A small K-8 charter in the Fordham-University Heights corridor where families show up — and the surveys prove it
Best suited for
Families who want a small, tightly knit K-8 with strong family voice and a culturally familiar environment, and who are willing to weigh the charter lottery against the school's softer teacher-instruction scores.
What stands out
- Exceptionally high family survey response rate of 99% — families here are not silent stakeholders.
- Tiny enrollment of 162 students across K-8 means tight, almost village-like classroom communities.
- Teacher-reported safety of 92% sits comfortably above the District 9 average of 83%.
- Culturally cohesive Latino student body that mirrors the surrounding neighborhood.
- Parent and teacher trust scores in the 90s suggest a respectful, well-run school culture.
Things to consider
- Teacher-rated instruction quality at 78% trails the district average of 90% — ask what that means in practice.
- Charter lottery admission — getting in is not guaranteed, and there's no zoned priority.
- Specific ELA, math, and science proficiency data isn't available in this snapshot, so academic outcomes are hard to verify independently.
- The surrounding neighborhood has a 25.7% poverty rate, which shapes the resources and stressors families bring to school.
- Peer schools like Icahn and Success Academy set a very high academic bar in this district.
Based on 2023-24 data
School SummaryDistrict 9
District 9 is one of the most competitive charter landscapes in the Bronx — Icahn, Success Academy, and Bronx Charter for Excellence all post strong results here. Brilla Pax is part of that ecosystem, though without proficiency numbers in this dataset it's hard to rank it precisely against those peers.
Academics
Specific proficiency scores aren't reported in this dataset, so it's hard to benchmark Brilla Pax against the District 9 averages of about 45% in ELA and math. The school's peer group in District 9 includes heavy hitters like Icahn Charter and Success Academy Bronx, so the academic bar in this neighborhood is genuinely high. Until proficiency numbers are available, the picture is incomplete — though the strong parent-teacher trust signals suggest families believe learning is happening.
Culture
The day-to-day feel here reads as warm: parent-teacher trust sits at 96% and teacher-principal trust at 91%, and teacher collegial trust is also strong at 93% — meaning the staff actually like working with each other. Teacher-reported safety at 92% is well above the District 9 average of 83%, which is a real plus. The one soft spot is teacher-rated instruction quality at 78%, noticeably below the district's 90% — worth asking the school directly what that gap reflects. Attendance data isn't broken out for the school, so daily patterns are hard to gauge.
Community
The student body is heavily Hispanic (87%) and Black (11%), with 19% of students having IEPs and an economic need index of 87.3 — meaning almost nine in ten kids qualify as economically disadvantaged. The diversity index of 25% is low, reflecting a community that is culturally cohesive rather than mixed. The surrounding neighborhood matches closely: a Latino working-class pocket where median household income hovers around $43,000 and about a quarter of residents live below the poverty line, so the families sending kids here largely are the neighborhood.
Neighborhood
University Heights (North)-Fordham is a dense, working-class corner of the western Bronx where renters outnumber homeowners by more than ten to one and only about 16% of households include children under 18. The median home value around $481,600 reflects a market that's mostly apartments rather than family-owned houses, and just under 14% of adults have a bachelor's degree. Getting around is straightforward thanks to multiple subway options within walking distance.
The 4 train at 183 St and Fordham Rd are each about a 6-minute walk, and the B/D at 182-183 Sts is about 11 minutes on foot.
Enrollment & applying
Enrollment availability is tracked from the school's published listings and refreshed daily. Confirm cycle dates on the school's own site before applying.
Survey Results
NYC School Survey (2025) · 310 families responded (99% rate)
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Economic Need & Special Populations
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Brilla Pax Charter School a good school?
- Published quality ratings aren't available for Brilla Pax Charter School yet on Motley. It's a charter school serving grades K to 8 in University Heights (North)-Fordham.
- What grades does Brilla Pax Charter School serve?
- Brilla Pax Charter School serves grades K to 8.
- How do students get into Brilla Pax Charter School?
- Brilla Pax Charter School is a charter school — it admits through a free public lottery, with no test or attendance zone.
- Is Brilla Pax Charter School public, charter, or private?
- Brilla Pax Charter School is a public charter school in NYC Community School District 9.
- What neighborhood is Brilla Pax Charter School in?
- Brilla Pax Charter School is in University Heights (North)-Fordham, Bronx.