Juan Morel Campos Secondary School

Both ELA and Math proficiency sit well below district averages — 35.7% vs. 62.4% in ELA, and 24.5% vs. 59.5% in math. But the long arc is genuinely remarkable: ELA proficiency climbed from 9.1% in 2016 to 39.6% in 2024 before settling at 35.7% this year, and math rose from 7% to a peak of 36.6% in 2024 before slipping back to 24.5%. That math dip is worth watching, but over the long term the school is clearly catching up. Outcomes also vary sharply by grade — seventh-graders hit 38.2% in math, while incoming sixth-graders arrive at just 11.1% — suggesting students make real gains the longer they're enrolled.

The culture picture here is a striking paradox. On the trust and satisfaction side, families are enthusiastic: 95% parent satisfaction, 96% parent-teacher trust, and 97% parent-principal trust all match or beat district averages. Teachers report strong instructional quality (92%) and high collegial trust (91%). And discipline is essentially a non-issue — zero suspensions reported, which is remarkable for a school serving a population with a 91.7 economic need index. The harder work is attendance: at 85.7% and 51.7% chronic absenteeism, the numbers are well below district norms, and Hispanic students are disproportionately affected (58% chronic absenteeism). The school day feels supportive and well-run; the harder battle is getting students through the door consistently.

The student body is 66% Hispanic and 26% Black, with small White and Native American populations, mirroring the surrounding South Williamsburg neighborhood closely. About a third of students have IEPs, and the economic need index of 91.7% tells you that nearly every family here is navigating real financial pressure. This is not a school where you'll see wide socioeconomic diversity — it's a working-class, family-rooted community that reflects its neighborhood rather than drawing from across the borough. The cultural identity is predominantly Puerto Rican and Latinx, and that shapes both the student experience and the school's arts-focused mission.

South Williamsburg is a family-rooted working-class neighborhood where 45.3% of households include children and the median household income is $38,784. The poverty rate is 48.5%, just 17.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, and homeownership is uncommon at 16.8% — though the median home value of $815,797 reflects the wider Brooklyn market. This is a multigenerational, predominantly Hispanic community where Spanish is widely spoken and family ties run deep.

Three nearby subway stops make this a relatively easy commute: the M and J lines at Hewes Street (about a 4-minute walk), and the G train at Broadway (5 minutes) and Flushing Avenue (6 minutes).