Explore Empower Charter School

ELA proficiency this year (62.1%) edges out the District 17 average (60.5%), and math (61.8%) is more clearly above (57.3%). The more striking story is the trajectory: ELA has more than doubled since 2016 (28.3% → 62.1%) and math has done the same (30.3% → 61.8%), with consistent year-over-year gains. Grade 4 math hits 87.2% — an exceptional result for any peer — while Grade 6 ELA at 47.9% lags the rest of the building.

Daily attendance is 91.6%, basically the district average, but chronic absenteeism sits at a worrying 69.7% — meaning more than two-thirds of students miss 10% or more of school days, which can blunt even strong academic gains. Survey signals are mixed: families give the school near-perfect marks on satisfaction (98%) and trust with teachers and the principal (95% each), while teacher-side trust is more reserved (teacher-principal 88%, collegial 82%) and only 31 teachers responded. Safety feels solid, with 97% of teachers reporting the school is safe.

The student body is 87% Black and 10% Hispanic, with small shares of Asian, Multi-Racial, and Native American students, and an Economic Need Index of 81.8 — well above the city average, signaling a high-need population. Sixteen percent of students have IEPs and average class size is 22, both roughly typical for the district. The surrounding neighborhood skews renter (only 16% homeownership), with a median household income near $74K and about one in five households below the poverty line.

North Crown Heights sits between Crown Heights–Utica Avenue and Eastern Parkway, with median home values over $1 million but only 16% of households actually owning — most residents rent, reflecting a neighborhood in transition. About 11% of households have children, lower than some surrounding pockets, and roughly 42% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, indicating an educated, transit-oriented population. The school serves an area where families can realistically commute by subway from much of Brooklyn and into Manhattan.

Three nearby stations make this a genuinely car-free commute: Crown Heights–Utica Av on the 3 and 4 trains (about a 7-minute walk), Utica Av on the A and C (about 10 minutes), and Ralph Av on the C (about 13 minutes).