At a Glance
A small zoned elementary in Eastchester where relationships run deep, but test scores lag well behind the district
Best suited for
Families zoned for the school who value a small, relationship-driven environment with strong family-administrator trust and are prepared to supplement learning outside the classroom.
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
- Three consecutive years with zero suspensions — a discipline profile far cleaner than most peer schools.
- 100% of teachers report strong relationships, and parent-principal trust is at 96%, suggesting a tight-knit school community.
- Math proficiency has climbed roughly 10 percentage points since 2022, a modest but real improvement worth noting.
- Includes self-contained special education classes alongside general education, serving students with a wider range of needs in one building.
Things to consider
- ELA and math proficiency are roughly half the district average — families should expect significant academic catch-up work.
- Chronic absenteeism at 62% is high, which can compound learning loss for students who do show up regularly.
- Teacher-reported safety at 84% trails the district average of 95%, a noticeable gap worth asking the school about.
- PTA fundraising is less than half the district average, so enrichment and extras depend heavily on what the school funds itself.
- The school sits well behind higher-rated District 11 options like P.S. 96 and the local Icahn and Bronx Charter for Excellence schools.
Based on 2024-25 data
School SummaryDistrict 11
Cornerstone's overall score of 1.16 out of 4 places it noticeably below the District 11 average of 2.25, and well behind high-performing zoned and charter peers like P.S. 96 (85/100) and the Icahn and Bronx Charter for Excellence campuses, which score in the 90s. It is among the lower-performing traditional zoned schools in the district.
Academics
Only 26% of students meet ELA proficiency and 32% meet math proficiency — roughly half the district averages of about 57% and 56% respectively. The overall school quality score of 1.16 out of 4 sits about a full point below the district's 2.25 average. Math has shown a slow upward trend since 2022, climbing from about 22% to 32%, while ELA has hovered in the mid-20s after a dip to 17.9% in 2022. Grade 3 math is a relative bright spot at 42%, but scores slip in grades 4 and 5, suggesting students may not be building on early gains as they move up.
Culture
The day-to-day feel here is warmer than the test scores suggest. Parent-principal trust sits at 96% and 100% of teachers report strong relationships — both well above typical levels. There have been zero suspensions in each of the last three years, which is rare and notable. However, chronic absenteeism is high at 62% (meaning nearly two of every three students missed 10% or more of the school year), and teacher-reported safety at 84% trails the district average of 95%. Attendance at 89% is slightly below the district's 91%.
Community
About 51% of students are Black and 44% Hispanic, with small shares of White and Asian students — a body that reflects the working-class, majority-immigrant character of Eastchester-Edenwald-Baychester. The school's economic need index of 82 means most students come from low-income households, and 18% receive special education services, including self-contained classes. PTA fundraising brings in only about $12 per student, less than half the district average, which limits what the parent community can add on top of the school day.
Neighborhood
The school sits in Eastchester-Edenwald-Baychester, a working- and middle-class section of the eastern Bronx where median household income is about $70,700 and roughly 18% of residents live below the poverty line. About 16% of households include children, and just over a quarter of adults hold a bachelor's degree — modest but not unusual for this part of the Bronx. Most families who drive or walk to school live within a tight radius, and the 5 train at Eastchester-Dyre Avenue is the closest subway option, with Baychester Avenue also within reach.
The 5 train at Eastchester-Dyre Avenue is about an 8-minute walk, and Baychester Avenue on the same line is about 11 minutes on foot.
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) · 117 families responded (48% rate)
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
PTA Fundraising
Source: DOE Local Law 171 disclosure
Discipline
NYSED Student & Educator Database (2023-24)
Economic Need & Special Populations
How to get in, step by step
Pre-K
Cornerstone Academy for Social Action also has Pre-K classes. They're a separate application from kindergarten, made on MySchools.
Pre-K application
Applications typically open in the winter and close in the spring, with offers in late spring; the city announces exact dates each year.
Kindergarten
Cornerstone Academy for Social Action has an attendance zone. At elementary level, in-zone students get a guaranteed seat. Every family still applies on MySchools: the application confirms the zoned seat, and ranking other schools doesn't cost you it.
Kindergarten application
- Opens
- Wed, Dec 9
- Closes
- Fri, Jan 22
- Offers
- Tue, Mar 30
The DOE’s published dates.
- 1Check that your address is inside the zone — zones change, so confirm it before you sign a lease.
- 2Apply during the kindergarten application, even with a zoned seat.
- 3Rank this school along with any others you'd take, in true preference order.
Open houses and tours
We haven’t seen open-house dates for this school yet.
From the MySchools admissions calendar, checked weekly.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Cornerstone Academy for Social Action a good school?
- On Motley, Cornerstone Academy for Social Action earns an overall rating of 29/100 — 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 below the District 11 average.
- What grades does Cornerstone Academy for Social Action serve?
- Cornerstone Academy for Social Action serves grades Pre-K to 5.
- How do students get into Cornerstone Academy for Social Action?
- Cornerstone Academy for Social Action admits by zone — children who live in its attendance zone get a guaranteed seat.
- Is Cornerstone Academy for Social Action public, charter, or private?
- Cornerstone Academy for Social Action is a public school in NYC Community School District 11.
- What neighborhood is Cornerstone Academy for Social Action in?
- Cornerstone Academy for Social Action is in Eastchester-Edenwald-Baychester, Bronx.