Brooklyn Arts and Science Elementary School

The defining story here is trajectory, not current standing. ELA proficiency rose from 14.3% in 2017 to 54.9% in 2025 — a 40-point climb — and math climbed from 18.5% to 46% over the same span. Both subjects still sit below district averages (60.5% ELA, 57.3% math), and math in particular has a ways to go. The 2025 ELA jump of 17 points in a single year is striking, though worth weighing against pandemic-era volatility in the earlier years of the trend. By grade level, performance generally strengthens with age — fifth graders hit 62% ELA proficiency — which suggests the school is building skills year over year.

On paper, the climate looks strong: zero suspensions across three consecutive years, 94% parent satisfaction, 97% parent-teacher trust, and teacher instruction quality rated at 100%. These all meaningfully outpace district averages. Day-to-day, families appear to feel heard and the school appears calm and orderly. The asterisk is chronic absenteeism at 65% — well above what most schools aim for — and a stark gap between demographic groups, with White students hitting nearly 90% chronic absenteeism while Hispanic students sit at 51%. It's also worth noting the teacher survey drew only 6 responses, which puts real limits on what the perfect scores actually mean.

The student body is 42% Black, 30% Hispanic, 20% White, and 4% Asian and multiracial — a mix that reflects Crown Heights's well-known shift over the past decade, including a meaningful White enrollment that mirrors the area's changing demographics. Around 58.9% of students qualify as economically needy, which tracks with the neighborhood's median household income of about $73,859 and 20% poverty rate. About 19% of students have IEPs, above what you'd typically see at an elementary. The PTA raised $115 per student — more than double the district average of $44 — signaling an unusually active parent body for a school of this size.

Crown Heights (North) is a working-to-middle-income Brooklyn neighborhood where homeownership is uncommon — only about 16% of households own — and the median home value exceeds $1 million, a signal of how competitive the area has become. About 42% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, and roughly 11% of households include children. The neighborhood's mix of longtime residents and newer arrivals shows up directly in the school's demographics.

Three subway options are within a manageable walk — the Park Place S shuttle is about 5 minutes away, and the Franklin Avenue C and Franklin Avenue S trains are each about 7 minutes away.