I.S. 285 Meyer Levin

The academic story here is one of genuine upward movement. ELA proficiency climbed from 27% in 2016 to 51.5% in 2025 — nearly doubled — while math improved from 13.3% to 40.3% over the same window. Both subjects still sit below district averages (58.4% ELA, 61.4% math), with math lagging by roughly 20 points, but the trajectory is hard to miss. Math in particular surged from 19.1% in 2022 to 42.8% in 2024, and grade-level breakdowns show relatively even performance across 6th, 7th, and 8th grades, with 8th graders posting the strongest math results.

The climate picture is mixed but has notable bright spots. Chronic absenteeism is high at 65.4%, meaning nearly two-thirds of students miss 10% or more of school days — a real concern. Yet teachers rate their own instruction quality at 100% (well above the district's 89.8%), and trust among faculty runs high (89% collegial, 86% in leadership), suggesting a collaborative staff. Discipline is exceptionally low — just two suspensions last year, on a downward trend from five the year prior — and parent satisfaction holds at 90%, near the district mark. The day-to-day feel is one of adults working hard together even as student attendance remains the headline challenge.

I.S. 285's student body is 91% Black, with a small Hispanic contingent and trace numbers of other groups, giving it one of the lower diversity index scores in the city at 22%. The demographics closely mirror the surrounding East Flatbush-Rugby neighborhood, a working- and middle-class community with a median household income of $71,298 and a homeownership rate of just under 39%. With an economic need index of 70.7% and 25% of students classified as IEP, the school serves a high-needs population. PTA fundraising totals just $1 per student — a tiny fraction of the district's $22.67 — which likely reflects family capacity rather than disengagement.

East Flatbush-Rugby is a working- and middle-class residential pocket of central Brooklyn, where about 12% of households include children and a quarter of adults hold a bachelor's degree. The area is solidly residential, with a homeownership rate of just under 39% and a median home value of $668,743 — modest by Brooklyn standards but reflective of a stable, family-oriented community. The school sits in a quieter section of the neighborhood, away from the immediate subway corridor.

The nearest subway is the 3 train at Saratoga Avenue, about a 20-minute walk from the school — meaning most families likely rely on buses, carpools, or driving rather than the train.