Hebrew Language Academy Charter School 2

Math proficiency (60%) is the brighter story here — it has climbed from 48.1% in 2022 to a peak of 65.8% in 2024 before settling at 60% this year, suggesting real instructional gains even with year-to-year wobble. ELA proficiency at 57.9% is essentially flat compared to four years ago and trails the district average of roughly 60%. Both subjects sit a few points below the district average, so students are performing near — but not above — their Brooklyn peers.

On paper, this is one of the warmer school communities in the data set: 100% of teachers report strong relationships, 100% feel safe, and parent trust in both teachers and the principal sits at 97%. Day-to-day, that translates into a tight-knit feel where families feel heard and staff feel supported by leadership. The shadow over that picture is chronic absenteeism at 64.5% — well above what's typical — meaning roughly two-thirds of students miss enough school to be flagged. Attendance overall (90.6%) is only a hair below district average, so most kids are showing up consistently, but a meaningful slice of the student body is falling behind on attendance.

The student body is majority White (54%) with sizable Hispanic (24%) and Black (17%) populations, and a notably high share of students with IEPs (27%). The economic need index of 67 indicates a mostly working- and middle-class population, with a meaningful portion of families just getting by. The surrounding Gravesend neighborhood skews similarly: middle-income, with a 22% poverty rate and homeownership just under 40%, so the school largely draws from the community right around it.

Gravesend is a family-oriented stretch of southern Brooklyn where roughly one in four households includes kids, median household income sits in the low $70,000s, and homeownership is the norm for the families who have put down roots. Education levels are mixed — about three in ten adults have a bachelor's degree — and the neighborhood's mix of homeowners and renters gives it a stable, multi-generational feel. The area has a substantial Russian-speaking community alongside more recent immigrant arrivals, which shapes both the school population and the local streetscape.

The 25 Av D train is a 5-minute walk, with the Kings Hwy N and Bay Pkwy D stops each about 8 minutes away — solid subway coverage for southern Brooklyn.