Emblaze Academy Charter School

Emblaze Academy's test scores tell a story of aggressive improvement — the school now outperforms the District 8 average in ELA (60% vs. 46%) and approaches the math average (42% vs. 48%). The growth is not accidental: scores have climbed every single year since 2019, with ELA jumping roughly 10 percentage points annually. Grade 7 stands out with 74% ELA proficiency, though Grade 8 math lags at 29%. The overall quality score of 2.03 outpaces the district average of 1.88, placing this charter ahead of many district schools in the same area.

The survey data paints a portrait of a school where families feel heard and teachers feel supported — parent satisfaction hits 99%, and trust between parents and both teachers (97%) and the principal (96%) is exceptionally high. Teachers rate instruction quality at 92%, well above the district average. However, the attendance picture is concerning: at 83%, it's significantly below the district average of 89%, and chronic absenteeism reaches 38% — nearly 4 in 10 students missing too much school. This suggests a mismatch between what families think of the school and whether kids actually show up. The chronic absenteeism rate is notably higher for male students (42%) than female (35%), and slightly higher for Hispanic students (39%) than Black students (35%).

The student body is predominantly Hispanic (61%) with a substantial Black population (35%), reflecting the demographics of Hunts Point. One-third of students have IEPs — notably high — indicating the school serves a significant population with special needs. The diversity index sits at 46%, moderate for the Bronx. With 89% economic need, this is a school where most families are navigating poverty. The enrollment of 297 students across four grades keeps class sizes at a manageable 22.6, slightly below the district average.

Hunts Point is one of the Bronx's higher-poverty neighborhoods, with a 30% poverty rate, only 9.5% homeownership, and just 13% of adults holding a bachelor's degree. The neighborhood scores poorly on safety (37th percentile) and transit access (23rd percentile), though it rates higher on stability (70th percentile), suggesting residents stay long-term. Environmental health indicators raise concerns: elevated PM2.5 levels, a 12% elevated lead rate, and high asthma emergency department visit rates. The area has few families with children (only 13% of households), meaning this school's families may be somewhat unusual in the neighborhood.

Families likely rely on buses or cars — the neighborhood's low transit score (23) and the nature of charter school admissions suggest many students travel from outside the immediate area.