At a Glance
A tiny PK-8 in East New York where every kid gets known — and where more families want in than there's room for
Best suited for
Families in East New York who want a small, tight-knit school where their child won't get lost in the crowd, and who are comfortable with a school that is still building its academic environment. Especially well-suited for families seeking strong behavior culture, ELL support, and unusually broad sports access for a school of this size.
Overall Rating
Rating = average of 4-year graduation, English Regents college-ready and Regents completion · DOE 2024 report
Bands are Motley's thresholds on a 0–100 scale, not New York State performance levels.
How this is scored→What stands out
- AP Courses offered at a PK-8 school — an unusual academic offering for the grade span
- Zero suspensions — a genuinely rare outcome in a high-need school
- Ten different sports programs including football, soccer, and volleyball for a school of just 168 students
- 310 applicants for 90 seats shows real demand despite the unscreened designation
Things to consider
- Parent satisfaction (77%) is well below the district average (91%) — worth asking current families what they experience
- Teacher-reported instruction quality (55%) is far below the district average (88%) — a meaningful gap that may reflect resources or leadership
- High IEP population (30%) means strong special education staffing but also indicates the level of student need the school is managing
- Tiny enrollment (168) means fewer peers and a smaller social circle, especially in upper middle school grades
- The name is misleading — this is a PK-8, not a high school, despite the 'High School' label
Based on 2023-2024 data
School SummaryDistrict 19
District 19 in East New York includes a mix of large neighborhood elementary schools and charter options. Compared to peer schools like P.S. 190 Sheffield and P.S. 149 Danny Kaye, this school offers a tighter, smaller community feel, but the survey gaps suggest it hasn't yet hit the same engagement and instruction marks as the district's higher-rated peers. The zero-suspension record sets it apart in a positive direction.
Academics
The school offers AP Courses alongside ELL Support and Spanish — an unusual combination for a PK-8 campus. Average class size sits at about 22 students, right at the district average, so families shouldn't expect smaller cohorts. With 30% of students having IEPs and 88% qualifying for economic need, this is a school serving students who often need significant academic scaffolding. AP exposure at the middle school level suggests leadership is trying to push the academic ceiling upward.
Culture
The discipline picture is genuinely strong: zero suspensions is a remarkable outcome, especially for a school with this demographic and economic profile. But the survey numbers tell a more complicated story — parent satisfaction at 77% lags well behind the district average of 91%, and teacher-reported instruction quality at 55% is dramatically below the district's 88%. That gap suggests that while behavior isn't a problem, the academic environment and communication with families may be friction points worth probing on a tour.
Community
The student body is 61% Black and 36% Hispanic, closely mirroring East New York's working-class, predominantly Black and Latino population. With an economic need index of 88 and 30% of students classified with IEPs, this is a community navigating real financial pressure and significant learning differences. The diversity index of 45% reflects a student body that's more culturally homogeneous than the citywide average.
Neighborhood
East New York (North) is a working-class Brooklyn neighborhood where median household income sits around $58,000 and roughly a quarter of households live below the poverty line. About 17% of households include children, homeownership is relatively low at 30%, and only 16% of adults hold a bachelor's degree. It's a transit-accessible corner of eastern Brooklyn that serves families who are often priced out of nearby Bushwick and Brownsville.
Three subway options are within easy walking distance: the 3 train at Pennsylvania Avenue (about a 4-minute walk) and Van Siclen Avenue (about a 7-minute walk), and the L train at Livonia Avenue (about a 7-minute walk).
Survey Results
NYC School Survey (2025)
Programs & Activities
Admissions Demand
Curriculum emphasizes issues relating to civil rights awareness and the American Constitution. Emphasis is placed on Law and Law-related professions. Ongoing debates, cultural performances and talent shows.
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Discipline
NYSED Student & Educator Database
Economic Need & Special Populations
How to get in, step by step
Pre-K
High School for Civil Rights also has Pre-K classes. They're a separate application from kindergarten, made on MySchools.
Pre-K application
Applications typically open in the winter and close in the spring, with offers in late spring; the city announces exact dates each year.
Kindergarten
High School for Civil Rights doesn't have an attendance zone of its own, so living nearby doesn't guarantee a seat here. Families apply on MySchools, and seats go to the school's priority groups first, then by random lottery.
Kindergarten application
- Opens
- Wed, Dec 9
- Closes
- Fri, Jan 22
- Offers
- Tue, Mar 30
The DOE’s published dates.
- 1Apply on MySchools during the kindergarten application.
- 2Rank this school with your zoned school, if you have one, and any others you'd take — in true preference order.
Middle school (6th grade)
Middle school is one citywide application, made in 5th grade. We don't have High School for Civil Rights's program list, so read how each of its programs admits on MySchools before you rank it.
Middle school application
- Opened
- Wed, Oct 14
- Closes
- Fri, Dec 11
- Offers
- Wed, Apr 7
The DOE’s published dates.
- 1Apply on MySchools during the middle school application, in 5th grade.
- 2Rank programs in true preference order — the match places your child in the highest-ranked one that offers a seat.
Open houses and tours
We haven’t seen open-house dates for this school yet.
From the MySchools admissions calendar, checked weekly.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is High School for Civil Rights a good school?
- On Motley, High School for Civil Rights earns an overall rating of 46/100 — the average of the school's four-year graduation rate, the share of its students scoring college-ready (70+) on the English Regents, and its Regents completion rate, shown out of 100.
- What grades does High School for Civil Rights serve?
- High School for Civil Rights serves grades Pre-K to 8.
- How do students get into High School for Civil Rights?
- High School for Civil Rights admits by application through a random lottery, with no academic screen.
- Is High School for Civil Rights public, charter, or private?
- High School for Civil Rights is a public school in NYC Community School District 19.
- What neighborhood is High School for Civil Rights in?
- High School for Civil Rights is in East New York (North), Brooklyn.