Key Collegiate Charter School

Test scores here are a mixed bag. ELA proficiency at 49.5% trails the district average of 52%, while math at 34% is notably below the 50.5% district average—meaning students are catching up in reading but still struggling in math. However, there's a clear upward trajectory: ELA jumped 16 percentage points from 2019 to 2022, and the school's overall score of 1.68/4 reflects that progress while staying below the district average of 2.06. Grade 8 students are performing at grade level in both subjects (62% ELA, 71% math), suggesting the upper grades have figured something out that the younger grades are still working toward.

The day-to-day here has some real tensions. Chronic absenteeism is staggering at 48.7%—nearly half of students are missing too much school—though it's worth noting female students (57%) are chronically absent at much higher rates than males (39%). The school has made progress on discipline: suspensions dropped dramatically from 118 in 2022-23 to just 34 in 2023-24, which is a significant improvement even if the current 4% suspension rate still exceeds the 1.6% district average. With 88% economic need and 27% IEP students, this is a school serving students with significant challenges both in and out of the classroom.

This is a small school with 113 students serving pre-K through 5th grade in a neighborhood that's predominantly Black (78%) and Hispanic (18%). The economic need index of 88 is among the highest in the area—virtually every family here is dealing with financial hardship. The diversity index of 38% is relatively low, reflecting the demographically homogeneous nature of Brownsville itself. At 27%, the school has a higher-than-average population of students with IEPs, suggesting strong special education services.

Brownsville is a transit-rich but safety-challenged neighborhood in eastern Brooklyn. The crime density and lead exposure rates here are concerning (asthma emergency department visits run at 104 per 10,000 residents), and the safety score of 19 out of 100 is among the lowest in the city. However, transit access is excellent at the 87th percentile, making commutes manageable even if driving is difficult. The area has seen some development, with median home values around $482,000, but only 14% of residents own homes and just 13.4% have bachelor's degrees—meaning this is a working-class community with limited financial cushion.

Transit-heavy neighborhood — families likely rely on buses and subway rather than driving, given the high transit score and lower car ownership typical in Brownsville