Imagine Me Leadership Charter School

Test scores here are a real success story — 76.3% ELA and 70% math proficiency outpace the District 23 averages of 52.2% and 50.5% by roughly 20 percentage points. The trajectory is striking: after plunging during pandemic testing disruptions (ELA dropped to 43.5% in 2022), scores have climbed steadily each year. Grade-level data shows particular strength in early elementary (Grade 3 ELA at 90.5%) and eighth-grade math (84.6%), suggesting the school builds solid foundations and maintains momentum through middle school. The overall 2.93/4 score reflects this recovery and puts the school well above the district average of 2.06.

The survey data tells a remarkably consistent story: this is a school where families feel heard and teachers feel supported. Parent satisfaction sits at 95%, and both parent-teacher trust and parent-principal trust hit 96%. Every single parent surveyed reported strong relationships with the school — a rare finding. Teachers are equally positive: 100% rate instruction quality highly, 98% trust the principal, and 93% feel safe. The family survey had 126 responses (44% rate), and while teacher responses were fewer (20), the alignment across metrics suggests genuine culture, not outlier data. The one tension: chronic absenteeism at 43.4% is high, particularly for Black students (51.5%), suggesting attendance may be a structural challenge the school is still working to solve.

This is a nearly all-Black school in a neighborhood that matches that demographic — 80% of students are Black, 16% Hispanic, with minimal other representation. The economic need index of 71.3% signals that most families here are navigating significant financial challenges. At 262 students total, it's a small school with class sizes averaging 21.8 (slightly larger than the district average of 19.8). The diversity index of 36% reflects the predominantly single-racial makeup, though the neighborhood itself is diverse. 15% of students have IEPs — close to typical for the area.

East New York-New Lots is a working-class Brooklyn neighborhood where families have made decades of tradeoffs around affordability, transit access, and safety. The median household income of $58,087 and poverty rate of 22.6% indicate real economic pressure for most families here. The safety score of 31.42 is notably low — parents in this area are already navigating that reality. Transit access is decent (68.58) thanks to subway lines running through the area, and family density is moderate (63.6), meaning there are kids around. Education orientation is low (37.93), suggesting this isn't a neighborhood where families are heavily focused on school options the way they might be in Park Slope or Bay Ridge — but for families here, that may make a strong school like Imagine Me even more of a draw.

Families in East New York and New Lots generally walk or take local buses — the area has decent subway access but requires transfers for most Manhattan commutes. Parents from further afield in District 23 may find the commute longer, which could factor into attendance challenges.