J.H.S. 218 James P. Sinnott

Test scores are well below district averages — 30.8% ELA proficiency versus a district average near 49%, and 27.5% math versus 48%. But the trajectory is genuinely striking: ELA proficiency has climbed from 13.5% in 2016 to 30.8% in 2025, and math has more than recovered from a low of 10.7% in 2019. Seventh and eighth graders outperform sixth graders meaningfully, suggesting the school gets results as students settle in. The overall quality score of 1.17 out of 4 places the school below district average, but a family walking in today is seeing a very different school than the one from five years ago.

Survey data tells a mostly positive story: 91% of parents are satisfied, 93% of teachers rate their own instruction quality highly, and trust between teachers and leadership sits in the high 80s and low 90s. The day-to-day feel, based on these numbers, is one of adults who believe in what they're doing and families who feel heard. But the attendance picture is genuinely concerning — 48.9% chronic absenteeism means nearly half the students miss enough school to be flagged, and the rate is especially stark among Asian students at 75.5%. The suspension rate of 4% is higher than the district average of 1.6%, though the trend is encouraging: suspensions have dropped from 21 to 12 over three years.

The student body is 44% Black, 38% Hispanic, 11% Asian, with small percentages of White, Native American, and multiracial students. That mirrors the East New York-New Lots neighborhood, which is largely working-class with a median household income around $58,000 and a poverty rate above 22%. The school also serves a high-need population: 88% economic need index, 27% students with IEPs, and an ELL support program. With just 306 students, this is a small, tight-knit community where most families are navigating real financial pressure.

East New York-New Lots is a working-class Brooklyn neighborhood where homeownership is relatively low at 29%, median home values sit around $605,000, and just over 10% of households include children. About 16% of area adults hold a bachelor's degree, and median household income is around $58,000. The neighborhood's character is defined by families stretching to make it work — and the school's high economic need index reflects that reality directly. It's a neighborhood where schools like 218 serve as anchors.

Families can reach the school via the A and C trains at Euclid Avenue (about 8 minutes on foot), the C train at Shepherd Avenue (about 9 minutes), or the 3 train at New Lots Avenue (about 12 minutes). Multiple line options make it workable from different directions in Brooklyn.