I.S. 219 New Venture School

At 33.8% ELA and 32.2% math, the school sits roughly 11 percentage points below district averages in both subjects. But the trajectory is the more striking number: math proficiency has multiplied more than tenfold since 2016, and ELA has nearly quadrupled. Scores by grade are remarkably even — every grade lands in the 31–35% range in both subjects, suggesting the gains aren't concentrated in one entry cohort. Science proficiency at 28.6% tracks below ELA and math. The school is catching up, not leading.

The survey numbers are unusually strong for a school of this profile: 96% parent satisfaction, 98% parent-teacher trust, 100% teacher-reported instruction quality, and 92% collegial trust among staff. Day-to-day, that suggests a tight community where families feel heard and teachers feel supported. The disconnect is attendance — chronic absenteeism at 62.8% means nearly two-thirds of students miss enough school to be flagged, well above the citywide middle-school norm. Suspension rate at 2% is also higher than the district average of 0.42%, and the count ticked up from 1 to 6 last year. Parents should know that the trust signals are real, but the attendance and discipline numbers say the school is working hard to keep kids in the room.

The student body is 58% Hispanic and 38% Black, with very small numbers of White, Asian, and multiracial students — a diversity index of 48% reflects this being a school of two large groups rather than a broadly mixed one. Forty percent of students have IEPs, well above the city average, which means this is a setting where significant learning needs are the norm rather than the exception. The surrounding neighborhood skews Hispanic and Black as well, with a median household income around $30,475 and a poverty rate over 44%, so the school population closely mirrors its community. ELL support is offered for newcomers.

Claremont Village-Claremont (East) is a working-class pocket of the Bronx where most households rent, few own, and only about 10% of households include children under 18 — one of the lower "families with kids" shares in the borough. Median household income sits near $30,475 and just 11.4% of adults hold a four-year degree. For families with school-age kids, the area is unusually car-dependent for a Bronx neighborhood, and the school is beyond an easy walk of any subway line.

Getting here from the subway is a hike: the 170 St stop on the B and D lines is about a 13-minute walk, Freeman St on the 2 and 5 is around 14 minutes, and Intervale Av on the 2 and 5 is roughly 18 minutes — most families will rely on a bus, car, or school transportation rather than the train.