I.S. 528 Bea Fuller Rodgers School

Math proficiency at 55.4% edges above the district average of about 52%, while ELA at 43.7% sits just below the district's 47% mark. The trajectory is the real story: in 2016, only about 1 in 10 students reached math proficiency and roughly 1 in 5 reached ELA proficiency; by 2025, both subjects had more than doubled. Eighth-graders post the strongest ELA results (51.9%), suggesting students gain reading momentum as they mature here. The school's overall quality review score of 1.98/4 sits right at the district average — solidly middle-of-the-pack with real upward momentum.

The day-to-day feel here is unusually warm. Parent satisfaction is 98% and parent trust in both teachers and the principal is 99% — among the highest in the district — and the family survey response rate of 95% suggests families are actively engaged, not just checking a box. Discipline is almost a non-issue, with just one suspension last year and a 0% suspension rate. Teacher-reported instruction quality (87%) runs slightly below the district average (90%), and teacher-to-teacher collegial trust at 85% is decent but not standout. Attendance is a real concern: 93.1% is better than the district average, but chronic absenteeism of 75.8% means roughly three out of four students miss enough school to be flagged — a pattern worth asking about if you're touring.

The student body is overwhelmingly Hispanic (97%), closely mirroring the Washington Heights neighborhood around it. About 29% of students have IEPs and the economic need index of 87.3% reflects a community where most families are working-class. The diversity index is low at 9%, meaning the school is highly concentrated demographically rather than mixed — which can mean a culturally cohesive environment but fewer opportunities for cross-cultural exposure.

Washington Heights is a working- and middle-class Dominican and Latino stronghold where the median household income sits around $76,900 and about 14% of residents live below the poverty line. Roughly 13% of neighborhood households include children, and 41.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher — a solid mix of families with college-educated parents and those without. Housing is overwhelmingly renter-occupied (only 17.5% own), and median home values around $575,000 reflect a market that's accessible by Manhattan standards but still out of reach for many longtime residents.

The school is unusually well-served by transit. The 1 train at 181st Street is about a two-minute walk, the A train at 181st Street is about four minutes, and the A at 175th Street is about seven minutes — making this an easy commute from anywhere in upper Manhattan and the Bronx.