Icahn Charter School 1

Icahn 1's proficiency rates are roughly double the District 9 averages — 99.5% ELA and 98.2% math against district norms around 45% in each. The trajectory is the real headline: ELA climbed from 61% in 2016 to 99.5% in 2025, and math from 59.5% to 98.2%, with the steepest gains coming after 2019. Scores are consistent across grades, with Grades 3 through 5 and 7 posting 100% in both subjects, and Grade 8 dipping slightly to 91.7% in math. Science proficiency at 85.7% is also notably strong.

Parents are unusually bought-in: 98% satisfaction, 98% trust in teachers, 98% trust in the principal — all meaningfully above district averages, and from a healthy 64% response rate. Day-to-day attendance runs at 92.6%, a couple of points above the district norm. The honest caveat is chronic absenteeism at 76.2% — most students are missing at least 10% of school days — and that gap is wider for Black students (86.8%) than Hispanic students (60.2%). Test results suggest learning is happening regardless, but it's worth asking the school directly how they're addressing those attendance patterns.

The student body is 55% Black and 43% Hispanic, with very small Asian and Native American populations, mirroring the demographics of the surrounding Claremont Village-Claremont (East) neighborhood. The economic need index of 84.8 confirms that most families arrive with significant economic pressure, yet only 6% of students have IEPs — notably lower than peers, something parents of children with special needs should ask about. With just 314 students across eight grades, average classes of around 21 keep things intimate.

Claremont Village-Claremont (East) is a predominantly renter neighborhood — only about 2.7% of households own their homes — with a median household income around $30,475 and a poverty rate near 44%. Just 10% of households have children under 18, and only 11.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, which makes the school's results all the more remarkable. Families getting here rely on the B and D trains, with no stop right at the door.

The nearest subway is 170 St on the B and D lines, about a 10-minute walk, with 174-175 Sts (B D) around 12 minutes and Mt Eden Av on the 4 a 14-minute walk.