I.S. 254

Proficiency sits well below district averages — 31.6% in ELA versus a District 10 average near 45%, and 30.1% in math versus roughly 43.5%. The story underneath those numbers is actually one of meaningful improvement: ELA proficiency has more than doubled since 2016 (from 13.3%), and math has climbed from 16.6% to 30.1%, though with real year-to-year volatility. Grade-level results are uneven — seventh graders post the strongest numbers, while eighth grade math dips to 18.7%, suggesting the gains aren't evenly distributed across cohorts.

The school's most striking signal is how loved it is by families: 95% parent satisfaction and 96% parent-principal trust are above district averages, and teachers rate instructional quality at 100% — also above average. That warmth, though, sits alongside some harder signals. Teacher-principal trust is 76% (well below the parent numbers), the chronic absenteeism rate is 68.4% (most students here miss significant school time), and suspensions doubled to 16 last year after two lower years. The day-to-day feel, according to the surveys, is warm and instructional — but staff-administration alignment and attendance are real pressure points.

I.S. 254's student body mirrors its neighborhood closely: 84% Hispanic, 13% Black, with very small Asian and multiracial shares, and a diversity index of just 31%. The economic need index of 91.7% — meaning roughly nine in ten students are from low-income households — tracks with Belmont's 37.7% poverty rate and $32,956 median income. Twenty-six percent of students have IEPs, and the school runs ELL support, both consistent with the demographic profile of the surrounding blocks.

Belmont is a working-class, predominantly renter neighborhood where median household income sits around $33,000 and more than a third of residents live below the poverty line. Only about 11% of households have children, and just 13% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, so most local families are navigating school choice without the buffer of extra income. Homeownership is rare (under 4%), though home values reflect the broader Bronx market rather than distress.

Most families reach I.S. 254 on foot from the B and D lines — Fordham Road is the closest stop at about 10 minutes, with Kingsbridge Road and 182-183 Streets each around 13 minutes away.