Icahn Charter School 5

Both ELA (81.6%) and math (82.9%) proficiency run roughly 25 percentage points above the district averages of about 57% and 56%, and the school's overall score of 3.29 out of 4 sits well above the district's 2.25. Scores dipped during the 2022 pandemic recovery year (68% ELA, 74% math) but rebounded sharply in 2023 and have stayed strong since, with math peaking at nearly 89% in 2023. Results vary by grade — third-graders post a stellar 95% math proficiency, while eighth-grade ELA drops to 68% — but every grade tested clears district norms.

Survey responses from teachers and families are overwhelmingly positive: 94% parent satisfaction, 96% parent-principal trust, 96% teacher-reported instruction quality, and 97% teacher-reported safety — all meaningfully above district averages. The day-to-day feel, at least among those who respond, is one of high trust between families, teachers, and leadership. The asterisk is that chronic absenteeism sits at 85%, which is extraordinarily high even for a post-pandemic year, and the family survey response rate is only 18% with just 29 teachers surveyed — so the rosy picture comes from a relatively small slice of the school community.

The student body is majority Black (54%) and Hispanic (32%), with a smaller Asian (8%) and White (4%) presence, and an 8% IEP share that's below typical. The school's diversity index of 61% reflects a mostly two-group composition rather than a deeply mixed one. Morris Park itself is a working- and middle-class neighborhood — median household income around $75,500, 34% of adults with a bachelor's degree, and nearly 38% homeownership — so the families sending kids here largely reflect the surrounding community, with moderate economic need (an index of 58).

Morris Park is a stable, family-rooted Bronx neighborhood where about 15% of households include children, more than a third of homes are owner-occupied, and the median home value sits near $669,000 — suggesting a community with both renters and long-term owners. Median household income of roughly $75,500 and an 11.6% poverty rate point to a solidly middle-income area without the extremes seen in some Bronx neighborhoods. It's the kind of place where people know their block and tend to stay put.

The nearest subway is the 5 train at Pelham Parkway, about a 14-minute walk, with the 5 at Gun Hill Road and the 6 at Buhre Avenue both 18–19 minutes on foot — so most families will drive or take the bus rather than walk to the subway.