I.S. 49 Berta A. Dreyfus

Test scores at this screened school sit well below district averages — 31.3% ELA proficiency versus 61.3% district average, and 27.6% math versus 61.0% district average. The school earns just 1.18 out of 4 on the city's overall quality metric, compared to a 2.45 district average. Math performance has improved substantially since 2016 (from 9.9% to 27.6%), but recent years show volatility — math peaked at 31.3% in 2024 before dropping slightly. ELA has been flatter, hovering between 25% and 32% over the past decade. Grade 7 shows the strongest math performance at 37.9%, while Grade 8 leads in ELA at 32.1%. Students here are catching up, not leading.

This is where the data tells a more complicated story. Parent satisfaction clocks in at 99%, with parent-teacher trust at 98% and parent-principal trust at 99% — extraordinary numbers that suggest families feel heard and respected. Teachers report 97% instruction quality and 90% trust in leadership, though teacher collegial trust is lower at 88%. The attendance picture is concerning: 86.9% daily attendance (below the 91.4% district average) with a striking 52.5% chronic absenteeism rate. Asian students show particularly high chronic absenteeism at 78.9%. Discipline has improved notably — suspensions dropped from 57 in 2021-22 to 36 in 2023-24, though the 9% suspension rate still far exceeds the 0.4% district average.

The student body is predominantly Hispanic (46%) and Black (34%), with smaller Asian (10%) and White (7%) populations. Nearly 88% of students qualify for economic need support, and 34% have IEPs — both well above typical district middle schools. The diversity index of 70% reflects a demographically mixed student population. This is a high-need community in terms of economic resources, though the school draws through a screened admissions process.

The Tompkinsville-Stapleton-Clifton-Fox Hills area of Staten Island is a working-class neighborhood with a median household income of $52,653 and a 25.9% poverty rate. Only 12.2% of households have children, making it less family-dense than many other NYC neighborhoods. Safety scores here are notably low (37.93 percentile), and the area shows elevated environmental health concerns including asthma rates and lead exposure indicators. Transit access is moderate (71.65), and median home values reach $628,102, reflecting Staten Island's generally higher housing costs despite lower incomes.

Staten Island generally requires car transportation for most families, and this neighborhood's lower family density means many students commute from other parts of the borough.