Highland Park Community School

Test scores at Highland Park have climbed substantially over the past nine years — ELA rose from 25.8% to 49.8% and math from 11.6% to 47.9%, putting the school roughly on par with district averages (ELA 48.9%, math 48.2%). However, the overall 1.95/4 rating matches the district average exactly, and science proficiency at 32.5% suggests room for growth in STEM subjects. There's a notable performance gap between grade levels: 7th graders excel with 59% ELA and 65.1% math proficiency, while 6th graders lag at 35.4% ELA and just 21.2% math — a gap that likely reflects the younger cohort still adjusting to middle school demands rather than a curriculum issue.

The school culture tells a mixed story. Parents overwhelmingly report feeling welcomed and trusted — 97% satisfaction, 98% parent-teacher trust, and 97% parent-principal trust are exceptional figures. Teachers rate instruction quality at 87% and collegial trust at 94%, though teacher-principal trust sits lower at 78%, suggesting some tension with leadership. Discipline is a bright spot: zero suspensions in the most recent year after a brief spike in 2022-23. The big concern is attendance — while the overall attendance rate of 91.2% exceeds the district average, chronic absenteeism is alarmingly high at 73.6%, affecting 76.9% of male students and 76.4% of Hispanic students specifically.

With 288 students in a school that tops out at grade 8, this is a small to mid-sized middle school. The student body is predominantly Hispanic (84%) with smaller Black (7%), Asian (6%), and white (2%) populations — reflecting the Cypress Hills neighborhood's demographics. Economic need is very high at 86.7%, and 21% of students have IEPs. The diversity index of 35% is moderate. Families appear highly engaged when they participate, with 168 family survey responses and a 77% response rate — strong for a school of this size.

Cypress Hills is a working-class Brooklyn neighborhood with a strong family orientation (70.5 percentile for family density) but notable challenges. The median household income of $66,262 and homeownership rate of 33.5% suggest a community of modest means. Education attainment is low (only 16.9% with BA+), and safety scores are a concern at 38.31 percentile. Transit access is decent (65.52 percentile), and the neighborhood has parks and community resources. However, environmental health indicators show elevated asthma rates and lead exposure concerns — factors families in the area navigate.

The school is located on Ridgewood Avenue in Cypress Hills. Families in the zone can walk or use local bus routes; the area is walkable for neighborhood families but may require longer commutes from distant parts of the district.