Bronx Arts and Science Charter School

This school's academic trajectory is striking — ELA proficiency jumped from 15.4% in 2022 to 46.3% in 2025, and math went from 9.2% to 49% over the same period. Today it edges past the District 8 averages (46.2% ELA, 48% math), which is meaningful in a district where peer schools like Success Academy Bronx 4 dominate the rankings. Grade 5 stands out with 60.4% ELA proficiency — well above the school's other grades — suggesting strong upper-elementary instruction. The overall 1.91/4 score also sits slightly above the district average of 1.88.

The attendance picture is mixed: the school boasts a 92.6% attendance rate (above the 89.4% district average), but chronic absenteeism sits at a troubling 73.8% — meaning nearly three-quarters of students miss significant school time. This disconnect suggests many families keep kids enrolled but struggle with consistent daily attendance. Survey data is essentially unusable — only 1 family responded to the 2025 survey, so there's no reliable signal on trust, safety, or whether families feel heard. Without survey feedback, the day-to-day culture is hard to assess from the data alone.

The school enrolls 306 students with a demographic makeup that mirrors its neighborhood: 62% Hispanic, 25% Black, 6% Asian, and small percentages of other groups. The diversity index of 56% reflects a fairly integrated student body. With an economic need index of 77.3% — well above typical rates — most families here are navigating significant financial stress. About 11% of students have IEPs, slightly below city averages. The community is predominantly working-class renters (only 33.8% homeownership) with low college-educated rates (17.6% BA or higher), making the school's academic gains particularly notable for families who may not have educational resources at home.

Castle Hill-Unionport is a stable but challenging neighborhood in the Bronx — it scores very high on stability (85.82) but low on safety (34.48) and education orientation (28.74). The median household income of $53,555 and poverty rate of 22.5% indicate economic strain, while only 13.7% of households have children (low family density). Environmental health indicators are concerning — elevated PM2.5 pollution, high asthma emergency department rates (75.5 per 1,000), and 15.2% elevated lead rates suggest health burdens on top of educational challenges. Transit access is moderate (41), and homeownership is low at 33.8%.

Families typically walk or take local bus routes; the school is accessible from the surrounding residential blocks but not near a major subway line, so commutes depend on bus service.