At a Glance
A small Bronx charter where test scores have nearly doubled over the past decade
Best suited for
Families in Morris Park and the east Bronx who want a small K-8 charter with a strong academic track record, are comfortable with a lottery admission process, and either have a car or don't mind a longer walk to transit.
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
- Test scores have nearly doubled since 2016, with both ELA and math proficiency clearing 86% in 2025—an outcome rare for any Bronx school
- 8th-grade math proficiency hit 100% in the most recent year, and 7th-grade ELA landed at 92.7%, suggesting the school builds serious momentum as students move up
- Parent satisfaction (96%) and parent-teacher trust (98%) are notably high, indicating families feel engaged rather than just enrolled
- The school sits near the very top of its District 11 peer set, edged out only by sister school Icahn Charter School 4
Things to consider
- Chronic absenteeism is reported at 83.4%—a high number that any applicant should ask the school to explain in context
- Teacher-to-teacher collegial trust is just 61%, sharply lower than the other climate metrics and drawn from only 17 teacher survey responses—a small sample that itself tells you something
- Only 5% of students have IEPs, which may signal strong services for those enrolled but could mean families seeking fuller special education supports look elsewhere
- Admission is by lottery, so getting in is not guaranteed
- The nearest subway stop is a 14-minute walk, which is a real consideration for families without a car
Based on 2025 data
School SummaryDistrict 11
This is one of the strongest schools in District 11. Among listed local peers, only Icahn Charter School 4 (96/100) sits higher; the Icahn network and Bronx Charter School for Excellence schools dominate the top tier of the district. The school belongs to a tier of charters that consistently post test scores more typical of well-resourced suburban districts than of the Bronx—worth keeping in mind when comparing to a neighborhood zoned school.
Academics
Test scores here tell a remarkable growth story. ELA proficiency climbed from 44.7% in 2016 to 86.6% in 2025, and math rose from 53.3% to 87.5% over the same period—clearing the District 11 averages of 56.7% (ELA) and 55.6% (math) by roughly 30 percentage points on each measure. The school's overall score is 3.48 out of 4, compared to a district average of 2.25. Eighth graders posted near-perfect math proficiency (100%) and very strong ELA (96.9%) in the most recent year, and seventh-grade ELA hit 92.7%. Scores in the lower grades are more variable—third-grade ELA sits at 67.6% and sixth-grade math at 76.9%—suggesting the strongest gains show up in the upper grades. Science proficiency is 74.2%, also above typical levels.
Culture
The day-to-day feel, based on the data, is one where families and leadership are genuinely aligned: parent satisfaction is 96%, parent-teacher trust is 98%, and parent-principal trust is 98%, all well above district norms. Teachers rate their instructional quality at 98%, principal trust at 92%, and personal safety at 100%, and the average attendance rate of 94.9% sits about four points above the district's 91.2%. Two things give a parent pause. First, teacher-to-teacher collegial trust is only 61%—notably lower than the other trust metrics and based on a very small sample of just 17 teacher responses. Second, chronic absenteeism is reported at 83.4%, which is unusually high and worth asking the school about directly. The combination suggests a place where adults and families are pulling in the same direction, but where peer relationships among staff and consistent student attendance need attention.
Community
The student body is 61% Black and 30% Hispanic, with smaller shares of Asian (6%), white (2%), multiracial (2%), and Native American (1%) students. Five percent of students have IEPs, which is lower than what you'll find at many neighborhood schools and may reflect either well-targeted supports or limited access depending on perspective. The economic need index is 56.9, meaning a majority of students come from economically disadvantaged households. With 302 students total and an average class size of 23.8 (matching the district average), the school retains a small-school feel where most families and staff likely know each other.
Neighborhood
Morris Park is a middle-income, largely working-class neighborhood in the eastern Bronx where about 15.3% of households include children, 37.8% of homes are owner-occupied, and the median home value sits around $669,000. About a third of adults hold a bachelor's degree, the poverty rate is 11.6% (lower than many parts of the Bronx), and the median household income is $75,592. It's a stable, family-oriented pocket of the borough without a lot of new construction but with a real sense of long-term residency.
Subway access is not quick from this location. The Pelham Pkwy stop on the 5 line is about a 14-minute walk, Buhre Av on the 6 line is roughly 18 minutes, and Gun Hill Rd on the 5 line is about 19 minutes on foot—meaning most commuting families will likely drive or rely on local buses.
Enrollment & applying
Enrollment availability is tracked from the school's published listings and refreshed daily. Confirm cycle dates on the school's own site before applying.
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) · 93 families responded (27% rate)
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Economic Need & Special Populations
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Icahn Charter School 3 a good school?
- On Motley, Icahn Charter School 3 earns an overall rating of 87/100 — 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 above the District 11 average.
- What grades does Icahn Charter School 3 serve?
- Icahn Charter School 3 serves grades K to 8.
- How do students get into Icahn Charter School 3?
- Icahn Charter School 3 is a charter school — it admits through a free public lottery, with no test or attendance zone.
- Is Icahn Charter School 3 public, charter, or private?
- Icahn Charter School 3 is a public charter school in NYC Community School District 11.
- What neighborhood is Icahn Charter School 3 in?
- Icahn Charter School 3 is in Morris Park, Bronx.