Emblaze Academy Charter School

Emblaze's ELA proficiency of 60% runs well ahead of the Bronx District 8 average of 46.2% — a meaningful gap, not a rounding error. Math tells a different story: 41.6% proficiency lands below the district average of 48%, and the score-by-grade breakdown shows 8th graders at just 29% math proficiency, a sharp drop from 6th grade's 51%. The five-year trend is genuinely striking though — ELA has climbed from 21.1% to 60%, and math rebounded from a 12% low in 2022 to over 41% in 2025. This is a school that's figuring out reading, still building consistency in math.

The family survey numbers here are eye-catching: 99% parent satisfaction, 97% parent-teacher trust, 96% parent-principal trust — all well above the district averages of around 93% and 88%. Teacher-reported instruction quality sits at 91.6%, also above the 88% district norm. The catch is attendance: an 83.1% rate runs about six points below the district, and chronic absenteeism of 38.4% means roughly two out of five students miss enough school to be flagged. Hispanic students and boys are missing school at the highest rates within that group. What this likely adds up to: families who engage feel very engaged, but getting students physically through the door every day is a real challenge the school is wrestling with.

The student body is 61% Hispanic and 35% Black, with a diversity index of 46% and an economic need index of 88.9% — meaning the school serves a population where nearly nine out of ten students qualify for economic support. About a third of students (33%) have IEPs, which is substantial and suggests the school is working hard to support a wide range of learners. The neighborhood around the school has a median household income around $38,800 and a 30% poverty rate, so most Emblaze families reflect the working-class, largely immigrant character of Hunts Point itself.

Hunts Point is a working-class Bronx neighborhood where homeownership is rare (under 10%) and most households rent. The median home value sits near $477,000, but that figure reflects limited inventory rather than what residents actually pay — the median household income of just under $39,000 tells the real story. About 13% of households have children, and just 13% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, meaning many Emblaze families are first-generation navigating the school system. The neighborhood has a defined industrial character and sits along the waterfront in the southeast Bronx.

Families can reach the school on the 6 train at Hunts Point Avenue in about a three-minute walk, or the 2/5 at Simpson Street in roughly eight minutes. The 6 at Whitlock Avenue is about a ten-minute walk.