Icahn Charter School 2

The numbers here are genuinely impressive. ELA proficiency at 92.2% and math at 87.2% are roughly 35 points above the district average in each subject, and science proficiency tops out at 96.9%. The trend has been steadily upward in ELA — from 60.4% in 2016 to 92.2% in 2025 — though math dipped slightly from a 93.8% peak in 2023 to 87.2% this year, still well above where it was a decade ago. The by-grade breakdown shows the upper grades doing the heavy lifting: eighth-graders hit 100% in math and 97% in ELA, and seventh-graders matched at 97% in both. Younger grades are strong too, but the fifth and sixth-grade math scores (both 76.9%) are noticeably softer than the rest of the school.

On paper, this is a trusting community. 97% of parents say they trust teachers, 94% trust the principal, and 94% are satisfied overall — all in line with or slightly above district norms. But the 75% chronic absenteeism rate is a flashing yellow light. That figure means three out of four students miss 10% or more of school days, and it's worse for Black students (86.7%) and Asian students (78.4%) than for Hispanic students (67.3%). The overall attendance rate of 93.2% looks fine against the district's 91.2%, but it's dragged up by a minority of students who show up consistently — the chronic absence rate is the more telling number. The survey response rate was only 11%, so the family voice here is a small sample of 36 respondents.

The student body is 52% Hispanic, 33% Black, 9% Asian, and 4% White, with smaller shares of multi-racial and Native American students. The surrounding Morris Park neighborhood skews more heavily Italian-American and white than the school population itself, which is common when a charter draws applicants from across the Bronx rather than only its immediate blocks. The economic need index of 57.9 sits in the middle of the range — about half the students qualify for free or reduced lunch. With only 8% of students classified as IEP, the school serves a notably smaller share of students with special needs than most district schools.

Morris Park is a middle-class, family-oriented pocket of the eastern Bronx with a median household income around $75,500 and a poverty rate of just under 12%. About a third of adult residents hold a bachelor's degree, and roughly 15% of households include children — lower than some Bronx neighborhoods, but still a meaningful family presence. Homeownership sits near 38% with a median home value close to $670,000, which gives a sense of the stability here. It's a neighborhood where many families have put down roots, even if the school's catchment extends well beyond it.

There's no subway right at the school door — the nearest options are the 5 train at Morris Park (about a 14-minute walk), the 2 and 5 trains at Bronx Park East (about 13 minutes), and the 6 train at Parkchester (about 17 minutes). Most families likely drive or take the bus.