Icahn Charter School 5

These are numbers that stop you: 81.6% ELA proficiency and 82.9% math — roughly 25 percentage points above what most District 11 students achieve. The trend over the past decade shows some volatility (ELA dipped to 68% in 2022, math to 74%), but the school has clawed back stronger than ever, with both subjects now in the low-80s. Grade-level breakdown shows strong performance across the board, though Grade 8 ELA (67.7%) and Grade 5 math (73%) lag slightly behind — a pattern worth watching for families with older kids. The overall score of 3.29 out of 4 places this school firmly in the 'exceeds standards' category, far above the district average of 2.25.

Here's where Icahn 5 gets interesting: the survey numbers are almost too good to believe. Parent satisfaction at 94%, parent-principal trust at 96%, teacher instruction quality at 96%, teacher-reported safety at 97%. These are exceptional scores that suggest a school where people genuinely like working and sending their kids. Attendance runs at 94.6% — above the district average — though chronic absenteeism clocks in at 85.3%, which is high (the city defines chronic as missing 10%+ of days). That disconnect is worth probing: the school gets high marks on trust and safety, yet significant numbers of students are still missing enough school to be flagged. It may be a data artifact, or it may point to transportation or health challenges the school is managing.

At 308 students across grades K-8, this is a small school with a Black-majority student body (54%) and significant Hispanic enrollment (32%). The diversity index of 61% reflects a racially mixed population, while the economic need index of 57.7% indicates a substantial number of students from lower-income households — nearly 6 in 10. Only 8% of students have IEPs, suggesting the school may have fewer specialized support resources than some peers. The community surveys show strong family engagement among those who respond (58 family responses, 18% response rate), though the relatively low response rate means these voices may not represent all families.

Morris Park is a quietly family-friendly Bronx neighborhood known for its stability (94.25 on the stability metric) and higher homeownership rates than most of the city (37.8%). Median home values hover around $669,000, and median household income sits at $75,592 — solidly middle-class. The safety score of 52 is moderate (about half of NYC neighborhoods are safer, half less safe), and transit options are limited (47.51). This isn't a neighborhood where you'll walk to subway stations easily, but it's the kind of place where neighbors know each other and the streets feel predictable. The education orientation score of 57 suggests families here value schools — which tracks with the charter lottery draw.

Morris Park is a residential area where families typically drive or take buses — the neighborhood isn't walkable to subway lines, so commute times may be a factor for families coming from outside the area