Future Leaders Institute Charter School

ELA proficiency is 46.9% and math is 43.2%, both roughly 10-12 percentage points below the district averages of 59.3% and 59.4%. The longer arc is more encouraging: math proficiency rose from 22.9% in 2016 to 50% in 2024, and ELA climbed from 28.2% to the mid-40s. Scores vary sharply by grade — seventh and eighth graders post the strongest results (around 60-62% ELA), while fourth and sixth grade are noticeably weaker, suggesting an uneven middle-school transition.

The school's culture is its strongest signal. Parent satisfaction sits at 94% (well above the district average of 88%), and trust between parents, teachers, and leadership is exceptionally high across the board — 98% parent-principal trust, 96% teacher-reported instruction quality, 95% teacher collegial trust. Teacher-reported safety, however, is lower at 82%, trailing the district average of 94%, which is something parents should ask about. Attendance is 87.8% and nearly half of students (49.2%) are chronically absent — a real concern, especially given the gap is widest among Black students (57.3%).

The student body is 72% Black and 25% Hispanic, with very small representation from other groups — a diversity index of 40% reflects this concentration rather than mix. With an economic need index of 85.9, the overwhelming majority of students come from low-income households, and 16% have IEPs. South Harlem, where the school sits, has a median household income of $68,758 and a 20.3% poverty rate, with renters making up the vast majority of households — a neighborhood where many of these students and families live and work.

South Harlem is a neighborhood where most residents rent rather than own, and only about 12% of households include children — a lower share than many NYC neighborhoods, which means the families here who do have kids tend to be deeply rooted in the community. The median home value of $1.3 million reflects broader pressure on the area, even as household incomes sit closer to $68,000 and one in five residents lives in poverty. More than half of adult residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, signaling an educated, engaged population around the school.

The school is a 4-minute walk from the 125 St station on the 2 and 3 lines, a 6-minute walk from the 116 St station on the 2 and 3, and about 9 minutes from the 125 St station on the A, C, B, and D lines — strong subway access from multiple directions.