Brooklyn Studio Secondary School

Test scores sit below the district average — 49% ELA versus 60% districtwide, 43% math versus 63% — placing this school in the lower tier of District 21. However, the trajectory tells a more hopeful story: math climbed from a pandemic low of 16.5% in 2022 to 43% in 2025, and ELA has held steady in the mid-40s throughout. Grade 8 students outperform, reaching 60% ELA proficiency, while Grade 7 shows particular strength in math (54%). The overall 1.84 score out of 4 reflects these challenges, but the trend line suggests the school is clawing back ground.

The survey data reveals a school where relationships work: 96% of parents trust the principal, 92% are satisfied with the school, and teachers give 97% approval on instruction quality — all above district averages. There's a notable trust gap among staff themselves (82% collegial trust, 88% teacher-principal trust), suggesting some internal dynamics may need attention. Discipline is notably gentle: zero suspensions. The attendance picture is complicated — the raw rate (93.6%) exceeds the district average, but the chronic absenteeism rate (79%) is alarmingly high, indicating many students miss significant portions of the school year despite showing up regularly enough to inflate the average.

The student body is predominantly white (42%) with substantial Hispanic (33%) and Asian (21%) representation, giving it a diversity index of 68%. This differs from the neighborhood's profile, which skews more heavily Asian in many blocks. With 20% IEP students and an economic need index of 79.1%, the school serves a meaningfully higher-need population than the surrounding middle-class neighborhood might suggest. The 90/100 program richness score reflects robust offerings from AP courses to athletics to the arts, and admissions are competitive for selective programs like Digital Communications (5.6% offer rate).

Bensonhurst is a densely populated, family-heavy neighborhood in southwest Brooklyn with a moderate cost of living ($1.03M median home price, $65K median income). The area scores low on safety (40th percentile) and transit (46th percentile), but very high on family density — you're in a neighborhood where kids are everywhere. Education orientation sits at 58th percentile, reflecting a community that values schools without being highly educated itself. Air quality and environmental health metrics show some concerns (elevated PM2.5, 17% elevated lead rate).

Many students walk or take local buses; the area is car-friendly but transit options are limited compared to deeper Brooklyn