Harlem Village Academy East Charter School

At 87.6% proficiency in both ELA and math, this school runs roughly 38 points ahead of the District 4 average in ELA and 42 points ahead in math. The growth curve is the more striking story: from 22.6% ELA and 34.4% math in 2016 to today's numbers, the school has posted year-over-year gains with only one mild dip in 2022. Grade-level breakdowns show 3rd through 5th graders scoring in the high 80s and 90s, though 8th-grade math at 53.6% stands out as a notable exception — possibly reflecting how recently those students enrolled or a curriculum gap at the top grade.

The day-to-day picture is harder to read than the test scores. Attendance at 90.4% sits above the district average, which is a good sign for routines and consistency. But chronic absenteeism at 62.4% means nearly two of every three students miss 10% or more of the school year — a meaningful headwind against strong instruction. Parent satisfaction (50.2%) and teacher-reported instruction quality (48.2%) both land well below district averages, though the family survey response rate was effectively zero (one respondent), so those numbers deserve a big asterisk. The climate signals that do exist suggest parents and teachers are not feeling heard — worth asking about directly on a tour.

The student body is 61% Black and 36% Hispanic, with very small Asian and multiracial populations — a profile that broadly mirrors the surrounding East Harlem neighborhood, where residents are predominantly Latino and Black and the median household income sits around $36,709. About one in five students has an IEP, and the economic need index of 86.7 means most students come from low-income households. With 652 students, this is a large school by elementary standards.

East Harlem (North) is a working-class, densely residential part of Manhattan where roughly a third of households live below the poverty line and only about 8% of residents own their homes. The median household income of $36,709 is well below the city median, though home values reflect the broader Manhattan market at over $675,000. The neighborhood has a substantial share of families with children (about 11% of households), and around 30% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

The 125 St station (4, 5, 6 lines) is about an 8-minute walk, the 116 St station on the 6 line is roughly 9 minutes, and the 110 St stop on the 6 line is around 13 minutes away — multiple subway options, but none of them are truly at the doorstep