Democracy Preparatory Harlem Charter School

ELA proficiency is 47.7% and math is 34%, both below the District 5 averages of roughly 54% and 51%. The trajectory is bumpy: ELA climbed from 25.8% in 2016 to over 50% in 2018–2019, dipped during the post-pandemic years, and partially recovered to 47.7% in 2025. Math has been more erratic — peaking near 47% in 2018, collapsing to 19.7% in 2022, and now sitting at 34%. The school's overall quality score of 1.63 out of 4 lands below the district average of about 2.09.

The day-to-day feel here is one of strong family connection — parent-teacher trust is 91% and parent-principal trust is 92%, both solid. However, teacher-reported instruction quality is 78%, well below the district's 88%, and chronic absenteeism sits at 54%, meaning more than half of students miss significant school time. Attendance is 87.6%, slightly under the district's 88.6%. Parents clearly feel heard; whether the classroom experience matches that warmth is less certain from the numbers alone.

The student body is 68% Black and 27% Hispanic, with very small Asian, White, multiracial, and Native American shares. Twenty-five percent of students have IEPs, and the economic need index of 84.4 indicates a high share of low-income families. The neighborhood around the school reflects similar demographics — a working-class, renter-majority community where most households don't own their homes.

Central Harlem is a renter-majority neighborhood where median household income hovers around $54,700 and roughly a quarter of residents live below the poverty line. About 10% of households have children, and over a third of adults hold a bachelor's degree. The block has a residential, community-rooted feel rather than a tourist-passing-through one.

The 135 St station on the 2 and 3 lines is about a 5-minute walk, and the 135 St station on the C and B lines is about 6 minutes away; the 125 St 2/3 station is around 10 minutes on foot.