At a Glance
A small, relationship-driven Bronx middle school where leadership themes and family engagement outpace the academic report card
Best suited for
Working-class families in the Morris Heights-University Heights area who want a small, family-engaged middle school with strong social-emotional supports, leadership programming, and consistent teacher quality — and who prioritize relationships and school climate over top-tier test scores.
Overall Rating
Rating = average of NY State ELA + math proficiency, grades 3–8
Bands are Motley's thresholds on a 0–100 scale, not New York State performance levels.
How this is scored→What stands out
- Leadership-themed identity woven into the curriculum, with formal programs in leadership, peer mediation, NJHS, and student council
- Program richness score of 100/100 is exceptional for a school of only 310 students — offering debate, chess, math team, theater, GSSA, and yearbook
- Teacher-reported instructional quality at 99% is among the strongest in District 9
- Family survey response rate of 91% suggests unusually strong parent-school connection
- Accelerated/Honors coursework offered alongside high-need population
- Discipline handled largely in-house, with only 1% suspension rate
Things to consider
- Math proficiency at 30.5% is meaningfully below the district average — families wanting top-quartile test results should look elsewhere
- Chronic absenteeism at 75.5% means most students miss substantial school time, which directly affects academic outcomes
- Test score history shows volatility rather than steady improvement, year over year
- Small enrollment of 310 limits course breadth, electives, and sports variety compared to larger middle schools
- 27% of students have IEPs and economic need index is 93.9%, so the school carries a heavy support load
Based on 2025 data
School SummaryDistrict 9
In District 9, most peer schools with high program richness scores are charter networks (Icahn, Success Academy). Among traditional public middle schools, P.S./M.S. 004 Crotona Park West scores higher on program richness (95/100). I.S. X303 sits below the district overall average (1.43 vs 1.79) but exceeds district averages on culture metrics like parent satisfaction, teacher trust, and instructional quality.
Academics
ELA proficiency at 41.2% is just a few points shy of the district average of about 45%, but math at 30.5% trails the district's 45% by a wide margin. Overall school score of 1.43 out of 4 sits below the district average of 1.79, and science at 40.5% is a relative bright spot. The bigger story is volatility: ELA has bounced from 24% in 2016 to a peak of 45% in 2018 and back down to 26% in 2024, with no consistent upward trend. Grade-level results show 7th graders (45% ELA, 45% math) significantly outperforming their 6th- and 8th-grade classmates, suggesting some unevenness as students move through the school.
Culture
This is where the school genuinely stands out. Teacher-reported instructional quality scores 99%, well above the district's 90%, and parent trust scores are similarly strong (96% teacher trust, 97% principal trust). The 91% family survey response rate is unusually high and signals real engagement. Discipline is light: just three suspensions last year, a 1% rate lower than the district average, despite serving a high-needs population. The big caveat is chronic absenteeism at 75.5% — three out of four students are missing 10% or more of school days, which makes it harder for even strong teaching to translate into consistent academic gains.
Community
The student body is 70% Hispanic and 29% Black, with very small numbers of other groups, reflecting the demographics of the surrounding neighborhood. The diversity index of 37% is low in the formal sense, but the school is deeply reflective of its community — most families share cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Twenty-seven percent of students have IEPs, and ELL support is offered, putting the school in the highest tier of need in NYC by economic need index (93.9%).
Neighborhood
The surrounding census tract is working-class and predominantly renter-occupied, with a median household income around $32,000 and a poverty rate of 37%. Only about 15% of adult residents hold a bachelor's degree, and just 6.5% own their homes, despite a median home value hovering near $590,000 — a gap that says a lot about the rental market here. Households with children make up roughly 14% of the area, so this is largely a neighborhood of adults, not kids.
Three subway options within an 8-minute walk: the 176 St and Mt Eden Av stations on the 4 line are closest, with 174-175 Sts on the B and D a bit further south
Academic Performance
ELA Proficiency
Students scoring proficient or above on the NY State ELA exam.
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Math Proficiency
Students scoring proficient or above on the NY State Math exam.
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Science Proficiency
Students scoring proficient or above on the NY State Science exam.
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Historical Trends
The dashed line marks 2023, when New York changed its grades 3–8 state tests. Scores before and after it aren’t directly comparable.
2020–2021 data unavailable due to COVID-19
Source: NYC DOE School Quality Reports
Survey Results
NYC School Survey (2025) · 259 families responded (91% rate)
Programs & Activities
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Discipline
NYSED Student & Educator Database (2023-24)
Economic Need & Special Populations
How to get in, step by step
Middle school (6th grade)
Middle school is one citywide application, made in 5th grade. I.S. X303 Leadership & Community Service admits through one program, and each one has its own admissions method:
- The Leadership & Community Service AcademyUnscreened81 seats
Middle school application
- Opened
- Wed, Oct 14
- Closes
- Fri, Dec 11
- Offers
- Wed, Apr 7
The DOE’s published dates.
- 1Apply on MySchools during the middle school application, in 5th grade.
- 2Unscreened programs fill by random lottery among the families who rank them.
- 3Rank programs in true preference order — the match places your child in the highest-ranked one that offers a seat.
Open houses and tours
We haven’t seen open-house dates for this school yet.
From the MySchools admissions calendar, checked weekly.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is I.S. X303 Leadership & Community Service a good school?
- On Motley, I.S. X303 Leadership & Community Service earns an overall rating of 36/100 — the average of the school's New York State ELA and math proficiency, grades 3–8, shown out of 100. Its state test results run below the District 9 average.
- What grades does I.S. X303 Leadership & Community Service serve?
- I.S. X303 Leadership & Community Service serves grades 6 to 8.
- How do students get into I.S. X303 Leadership & Community Service?
- I.S. X303 Leadership & Community Service admits by application through a random lottery, with no academic screen.
- Is I.S. X303 Leadership & Community Service public, charter, or private?
- I.S. X303 Leadership & Community Service is a public school in NYC Community School District 9.
- What neighborhood is I.S. X303 Leadership & Community Service in?
- I.S. X303 Leadership & Community Service is in University Heights (South)-Morris Heights, Bronx.