J.H.S. 292 Margaret S. Douglas

Proficiency sits well below district averages: 39.7% of students meet ELA standards (district ~49%) and 32.8% meet math standards (district ~48%). The longer arc is more encouraging — ELA proficiency has climbed from 31.5% in 2016 to around 40% in 2025, a meaningful lift, while math has been roughly flat in the low 30s. By 8th grade, ELA proficiency reaches 49.4%, well above the 6th-grade mark of 31.7%, suggesting the school moves students forward over time even from a low starting point. Science proficiency of 39.3% tracks with schoolwide ELA.

Parents are unusually engaged — 96% satisfaction, 98% parent-teacher trust, and an 88% survey response rate signal a tight family-school connection. Teachers rate their own instructional quality at 100% and report strong collegial trust at 83%. Two numbers complicate that picture: chronic absenteeism is 58.6%, meaning most students miss 10% or more of school days, and the suspension rate is 6% — roughly four times the district average — with suspensions climbing from 7 to 19 over three years. Teacher-principal trust at 71% is also notably lower than other climate measures, suggesting some friction higher up the chain.

The student body is 48% Black, 31% Hispanic, and 18% Asian, with a diversity index of 64%. Twenty-seven percent of students have IEPs and the school runs ELL Support, signaling a wide range of learner needs that the school is built to absorb. The economic need index of 90.9% confirms most families are navigating real financial pressure — that tracks with the surrounding East New York (North) census profile, where the median household income is around $57,800 and about a quarter of residents live below the poverty line. The screened admissions process draws families from across the district rather than just the immediate blocks.

East New York (North) is a working-class Brooklyn neighborhood where about 25% of residents live below the poverty line and only around 16% of adults hold a bachelor's degree. Homeownership sits at roughly 30%, with a median home value near $617,000 — a number that reflects the price pressure moving through East Brooklyn in recent years. The area is home to a mix of Black, Hispanic, and Asian households, and getting here is straightforward by train with multiple subway options within walking distance.

The C train at Van Siclen Avenue is about a four-minute walk, the C at Liberty Avenue is about six minutes, and the J/Z at Van Siclen Avenue is roughly ten minutes on foot.