Brooklyn Scholars Charter School

Test scores at Brooklyn Scholars have climbed significantly over the past decade — ELA went from 37.8% in 2016 to 57.8% in 2025, and math rose from 38.4% to 51%. Both now sit above the District 19 averages (48.9% ELA, 48.2% math). The overall score of 2.18 out of 4 also exceeds the district average of 1.94. However, there's a catch: the 2022 scores dipped dramatically (math fell to 27.5%), likely reflecting pandemic disruptions, and the school has been climbing back since. Grade-level data shows strong performance in grades 3, 5, and 8 (ELA above 63%), while grades 4 and 6 lag — suggesting inconsistent growth across the grade span.

The survey data tells a remarkably consistent story: families and teachers feel trusted and supported. Parent satisfaction sits at 95%, with parent-teacher trust at 98% and parent-principal trust at 97%. Teachers give their principal a 98% trust rating and rate instruction quality at 94% — well above the district average of 88%. Teacher-reported safety is 95%. But there's a tension here: despite these strong trust numbers and a 92.2% attendance rate, chronic absenteeism is shockingly high at 70.5%. This suggests the school has strong family engagement among those who attend regularly, but also faces significant barriers to getting kids through the door consistently — a challenge common in high-need neighborhoods with transportation or stability issues.

The school enrollment of 718 students is predominantly Black (62%) with Hispanic students making up 29%. This reflects the neighborhood's demographics, where the population is largely Black and Hispanic working-class families. The economic need index of 79.7% indicates most families face significant financial hardship. With a 12% IEP population and average class sizes matching the district at 21.8 students, the school serves a high-need population while maintaining mainstream class sizes.

East New York-City Line is a working-class Brooklyn neighborhood with real constraints: the safety score of 28.35 puts it in the bottom third of the city, crime density is high, and the area scores poorly on education orientation (18.39) and stability (5.75). On the upside, transit access is decent (69.35), and the neighborhood has seen some housing price growth (median home value $609,331), suggesting gradual change. Families should know the area has elevated environmental health concerns — lead exposure rates and asthma emergency department visits are higher than city averages.

Many families likely rely on busing or driving given the neighborhood's transit score of 69 and the challenges of walking in an area with high collision rates