Crotona International High School

No state test scores were available in this data set, so I can't directly compare this school's ELA and Math performance to district averages. However, the average class size of 22.9 matches the district exactly, suggesting typical staffing and resources. The school offers Humanities, ELL Support, and World Languages, with a program richness score of 90/100 — notably high for a district where peer schools range from 62-92. This indicates the school has invested in breadth, even if the academic intensity level isn't clear from the data.

This is where Crotona International genuinely shines. Parent satisfaction sits at 99% — well above the district average of 94% — and nearly every parent who responded trusts the teachers (99%), trusts the principal (99%), and feels the school communicates well. Teachers report similarly strong collegial trust (95%) and trust in leadership (91%), with instruction quality rated at 91% — essentially matching the district average. The discipline data is particularly striking: zero suspensions. That's not always a sign of a perfect environment (it can sometimes mean issues are handled informally), but combined with the trust scores, it suggests this school has built a culture where problems get resolved without removing students from class. Attendance wasn't provided, but the high family engagement points to a community that shows up.

This is a heavily Hispanic-serving school in a neighborhood that's economically stressed. At 94% Hispanic enrollment, the student body is nearly monolithic — the diversity index of 17% reflects that. Five percent of students have IEPs, which is low and may reflect either strong support or selective screening. The neighborhood context matters: Belmont has a 37.7% poverty rate, a median household income of just $32,956, and only 13.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree. This is not a neighborhood of affluent professionals. Families here are working-class, often first-generation, and the school's extensive ELL Support and multilingual programming (Spanish, French) suggests it's designed to serve immigrant and bilingual families. The high parent satisfaction in this context is significant — these families see something working.

Belmont is a family-dense but economically strained neighborhood in the Bronx. The safety score of 2.3 (on a 0-100 scale) is among the lowest in the city — crime density is high, lead exposure rates are elevated (15.2%), and asthma-related ER visits are a real concern (75.5 per 1,000). Transit access is decent (58.62 percentile), which matters for high schoolers commuting across the Bronx. The homeownership rate is just 3.8%, meaning most families rent, and the median home value of $394,809 reflects the area's modest housing stock. There are parks and family resources, but the environment is not a polished, suburban-feeling neighborhood — it's urban, gritty, and real. Families choosing this school are choosing to stay local in a community that needs good options.

Belmont is relatively walkable and well-served by local bus routes, which matters for younger teens and families without cars. The school sits near major Bronx corridors, so students from across the district can reach it — though those coming from distant parts of District 10 may have longer commutes.