Bronx Charter School for Better Learning

Both ELA (62.4%) and math (65.8%) sit meaningfully above the District 11 averages of about 56.7% and 55.6% respectively — roughly 6-10 percentage points ahead depending on the subject. The story behind those numbers is interesting: this school hit a high-water mark in 2019 (66.3% ELA, 73.8% math), then cratered during the pandemic years (46.6% and 48.3% in 2022), and has since climbed back. The 2025 ELA number is the second-highest the school has ever posted, and math has nearly recovered to its pre-pandemic peak. Grade 5 ELA leads at 68.5%, while grade 4 ELA at 56.8% is the softest spot. Overall score 2.56/4 also beats the district average of 2.25.

The trust numbers here are unusual. Parent-principal trust is 98%, parent-teacher trust is 97%, and 100% of teachers say students have strong relationships with adults in the building. Teacher-reported safety is also at 100% — well above the district's 95%. Teacher-principal trust (89%) is the lowest survey number and worth noting, but still respectable. The 41 teacher survey responses suggest meaningful staff buy-in. Day-to-day, this reads as a calm, orderly school where adults like working with each other. The big asterisk is chronic absenteeism at 73.6% — that's the percentage of students missing 10% or more of school days, and it's elevated. Attendance overall (92.6%) beats the district 91.2%, but the chronic rate is the kind of number that warrants a direct conversation with the school about what attendance looks like in your child's actual classroom.

The student body is 85% Black, 9% Hispanic, with small Asian, white, multiracial, and Native American populations — reflecting the Black-majority character of much of this part of the Bronx. The economic need index sits at 63.1, meaning a clear majority of students qualify as economically disadvantaged, in line with the broader neighborhood where median household income is around $70,700 and the poverty rate is 17.8%. Eleven percent of students have IEPs, which is roughly average for the district.

Eastchester-Edenwald-Baychester is a working- and middle-class residential pocket of the Bronx with a homeownership rate near 42% and a median home value over $543,000 — higher than many Bronx neighborhoods but typical for this stretch near the Westchester border. About 16% of households have kids, 26.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the area tends to attract families who are putting down roots rather than renting short-term. It's a stable, family-oriented residential area rather than a destination neighborhood.

The 5 train is your realistic option. Baychester Avenue station is roughly an eight-minute walk and Eastchester-Dyre Avenue about eleven minutes — close enough that many families can commute by subway, but expect a real walk either way.