At a Glance
A K-5 charter that rebuilt its academics post-pandemic, with some of the strongest parent–principal trust in the district
Best suited for
Bronx families who want a small K-5 charter with unusually strong parent–school communication and a clear upward academic trajectory, and who don't mind a car- or bus-dependent commute for the elementary years.
Overall Rating
Rating = average of NY State ELA + math proficiency, grades 3–8
Bands are Motley's thresholds on a 0–100 scale, not New York State performance levels.
How this is scored→What stands out
- ELA proficiency of 62% sits about five points above the District 11 average, the school's clearest academic signal
- One of the strongest parent–principal trust scores in the data at 98%, paired with 97% parent–teacher trust
- A genuine recovery story: ELA has nearly doubled from its 2022 low of 37.5%
- A modest 443-student K-5 enrollment keeps the community relatively close-knit compared to large zone schools
- Sits in a stable, majority-homeowner neighborhood unusual for many Bronx public schools
Things to consider
- Chronic absenteeism at 63.8% is high and worth asking the school how they're addressing it — even strong academics can erode if students aren't in the building
- Math proficiency has been bumpier than ELA, sliding from 60.6% in 2023 to 53.9% in 2025
- Performance drops noticeably in the upper grades, with fifth-grade math at just 44.3% — ask what changes between third and fifth grade
- The school is a 14-minute walk from the nearest subway, so the commute will likely involve driving or a bus connection
- The student body is 83% Black and demographically less varied than many city schools, which may or may not matter for your family
Based on 2024-25 data
School SummaryDistrict 11
District 11 is stacked with high-performing charters — Icahn Charter School 4 leads the local peer group at 96/100 — and this school slots in just above the district average (2.32 vs. 2.25 overall), respectable but not at the top of the charter cluster.
Academics
ELA proficiency at 62% runs roughly five points above the District 11 average of about 57%, while math at 53.9% is essentially on par. The real story is the trajectory: ELA nearly doubled from its 2022 low of 37.5%, and math has climbed from 38.4% to the mid-50s — though with more year-to-year wobble. Third-graders are the strongest cohort (69.9% ELA, 61.6% math), and performance softens noticeably by fifth grade, where math drops to 44.3%.
Culture
The school's standout is family engagement: 92% of parents are satisfied, 97% trust their child's teacher, and 98% trust the principal — numbers that suggest genuine day-to-day communication, not just a friendly open-house. Teachers echo that, rating instruction quality at 96% and safety at 96%, both slightly above district norms. The asterisk is chronic absenteeism: 63.8% of students miss 10% or more of the school year, even though the daily attendance rate of 90.7% is right at the district average. That's a pattern worth asking the school about directly.
Community
Of 443 students, 83% are Black and 14% Hispanic, giving the school a fairly homogeneous demographic profile (diversity index 33%). About 10% of students have IEPs, and the economic need index sits at 63.1 — middle of the pack for the district. The neighborhood context is more mixed than the school's enrollment suggests: Pelham Gardens households pull a median income over $90,000 with majority homeownership, a stability the student body doesn't fully mirror.
Neighborhood
Pelham Gardens is a residential, family-anchored East Bronx neighborhood where most residents own their homes and the median household income tops $90,000. About 15% of households include children, and roughly a third of adults hold a bachelor's degree — a solidly middle-class profile for the borough. Getting around is car-and-bus territory more than subway territory, which is something to factor into your daily routine.
The 5 train at Gun Hill Road is about a 14-minute walk and the 6 at Pelham Bay Park is roughly a 19-minute walk, so most families will likely drive, take a bus, or arrange drop-off rather than rely on the subway.
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.
Academic Performance
ELA Proficiency
Students scoring proficient or above on the NY State ELA exam.
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Math Proficiency
Students scoring proficient or above on the NY State Math exam.
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Historical Trends
The dashed line marks 2023, when New York changed its grades 3–8 state tests. Scores before and after it aren’t directly comparable.
2020–2021 data unavailable due to COVID-19
Source: NYC DOE School Quality Reports
Survey Results
NYC School Survey (2025) · 255 families responded (64% rate)
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Economic Need & Special Populations
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Bronx Charter School for Better Learning II a good school?
- On Motley, Bronx Charter School for Better Learning II earns an overall rating of 58/100 — the average of the school's New York State ELA and math proficiency, grades 3–8, shown out of 100. Its state test results run in line with the District 11 average.
- What grades does Bronx Charter School for Better Learning II serve?
- Bronx Charter School for Better Learning II serves grades K to 5.
- How do students get into Bronx Charter School for Better Learning II?
- Bronx Charter School for Better Learning II is a charter school — it admits through a free public lottery, with no test or attendance zone.
- Is Bronx Charter School for Better Learning II public, charter, or private?
- Bronx Charter School for Better Learning II is a public charter school in NYC Community School District 11.
- What neighborhood is Bronx Charter School for Better Learning II in?
- Bronx Charter School for Better Learning II is in Pelham Gardens, Bronx.