At a Glance
A small, child-centered community school rooted in Flatbush
Best suited for
Families in or near Flatbush looking for a small, nurturing, culturally-rooted early childhood through elementary experience, especially those who want the intimacy of a tiny school community and the rare chance to access private-school continuity starting at 3-K or Pre-K without paying tuition.
What stands out
- Free NYC 3-K and Pre-K for All seats inside a private school setting, which is rare and meaningfully lowers the cost barrier for the earliest years
- Very low 12.7:1 student-teacher ratio across just six full-time teachers, so every child gets sustained individual attention
- Caters to ages 2 through fifth grade under one roof, giving families continuity from toddler years through elementary
- Affordable private tuition at $7,500-$9,500, well below typical private elementary rates in Brooklyn
- After-school program included to extend the day for working families
Things to consider
- Enrollment tops out at 76 students, so each grade cohort is tiny — some families love this, others want a bigger peer pool
- Only goes through fifth grade, so families will need to navigate middle school choices separately
- Demographically homogeneous, with limited racial and ethnic mix among students
- The school is officially nonsectarian, but parent reviews frequently reference faith-based morals and values — worth asking directly how this shows up day to day
- Tuition, while modest by private-school standards, is still meaningful given the neighborhood's income profile
Identity
A nonsectarian elementary program built on child-centered learning strategies, with an explicit commitment to academic excellence, racial and cultural appreciation, and community involvement. The school explicitly believes hard work leads to success.
Community
A small, intimate community of 76 students where every family is visible. Total enrollment is split across nursery through fifth grade, so each grade level has roughly a dozen children or fewer.
Neighborhood
Located in Flatbush, where median household income is about $79,000 and roughly 14% of households live below the poverty line. About a third of neighborhood adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The surrounding area reflects the working- and middle-class character of central Brooklyn.
The school is reachable from the 2 and 5 trains at either Newkirk Avenue-Little Haiti or Flatbush Avenue-Brooklyn College, both about an 8-minute walk. The B and Q at Newkirk Plaza is about an 11-minute walk on the other side.
Notable Programs
What Parents Are Saying
Parents describe the school as one of the best in Brooklyn with caring and attentive staff; children thrive in curriculum-rich environment; strong academics with high test scores; teachers very informative and involved in child development; faith-based morals and values emphasized; highly recommended
Synthesized from public parent reviews · Apr 2026
Make this school part of your plan
Everything on this page is yours to read. An account keeps your research in one place.
No credit card required
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is CORTELYOU EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER a good school?
- Published quality ratings aren't available for CORTELYOU EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER yet on Motley. It's a private school serving grades Pre-K to 5 in Flatbush.
- What grades does CORTELYOU EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER serve?
- CORTELYOU EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER serves grades Pre-K to 5.
- How do students get into CORTELYOU EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER?
- CORTELYOU EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER runs its own private admissions process — typically an application, a visit, and sometimes testing.
- Is CORTELYOU EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER public, charter, or private?
- CORTELYOU EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER is a private school.
- What neighborhood is CORTELYOU EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER in?
- CORTELYOU EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER is in Flatbush, Brooklyn.