Explore Charter School

Explore's numbers tell a striking growth story. ELA proficiency climbed from 28.7% in 2016 to 63.7% in 2025, and math proficiency rose from 30.5% to 67.9% over the same period — both now sitting comfortably above the District 17 averages of roughly 61% and 57%. The gains haven't been perfectly linear; math dipped in 2022 (41.5%) before rebounding, but the overall trajectory is the standout one. By grade, fourth-graders post the strongest math results (82.3% proficient), while fifth-graders lead in ELA (79.5%). The school's overall quality score of 2.63 out of 4 edges past the district's 2.36.

Parents clearly love this school — 95% satisfaction (above the 91% district average) and parent-teacher trust at 96% suggest families feel heard and well-informed. The 24% family survey response rate is healthy enough to take those numbers seriously. Teacher-reported safety at 86% sits below the district's 94.7% average, which is something to ask about on a tour, and teacher-collegial trust (85%) and principal trust (87%) are solid but not standout. Daily attendance of 94.2% is strong and well above the district's 91%. The chronic absenteeism rate of 83% looks alarming at first glance, but the attendance rate suggests most kids are showing up most days — the chronic figure reflects students missing 10% or more of the year across a population with high economic need.

The student body is 75% Black and 19% Hispanic, with small shares of Asian (1%), White (2%), Native American (2%), and multiracial (1%) students, giving the school a diversity index of just 41% — low by city standards. Thirteen percent of students have IEPs and the economic need index of 76.6 indicates a population where most families qualify for free or reduced lunch. The surrounding Prospect Lefferts Gardens census tract is more economically mixed: median household income of $73,345 and 41.8% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher, but also a 15.9% poverty rate. The school reflects its community — predominantly Black, working-class, and aspirational.

Prospect Lefferts Gardens is a central Brooklyn neighborhood where modest townhouse blocks meet more imposing early-20th-century architecture. The 9.8% share of households with children is well below the city average, but families who do live here often stay put. Median home values near $950K and only 22.5% homeownership signal a renter-heavy area; the 41.8% rate of adults with a bachelor's degree is higher than you'd guess from the income figures alone, suggesting a mix of professionals and working families. The neighborhood has a real mix — gated versus ungated, share versus ownership, but plenty of working-class rootedness too.

Families have solid subway access. Winthrop St on the 2/5 lines is a quick 2-minute walk, making drop-off easy for commuters. Church Av and Sterling St, also on the 2/5, are each about 9 minutes on foot.