At a Glance
A rare K-through-12 charter in the South Bronx that's outpacing its district on test scores — though discipline trends give parents pause
Best suited for
Families who want a single K-12 charter home with strong test scores and a structured environment, and who are willing to ask pointed questions about discipline practices and teacher climate before enrolling.
Overall Rating
Grades 3–8
Rating = average of NY State ELA + math proficiency, grades 3–8
High school
Rating = average of 4-year graduation, English Regents college-ready and Regents completion · DOE 2025 report
Bands are Motley's thresholds on a 0–100 scale, not New York State performance levels.
How this is scored→What stands out
- One of the very few charter schools in NYC serving the full K-through-12 sequence under one roof, allowing students to stay through graduation without re-entering the lottery.
- Math proficiency of 73% is roughly 24 points above the district average, one of the larger gaps among South Bronx schools.
- Sustained academic growth over nearly a decade, with ELA proficiency rising from 43% in 2016 to 69% in 2025.
- Parent satisfaction at 97%, exceptionally high even relative to the already-strong district average.
- Sits among the strongest charter peers in the Bronx, alongside South Bronx Classical and Success Academy Bronx 1.
Things to consider
- The 12% suspension rate is more than ten times the district average, and suspensions have increased each of the last three years — worth asking the school directly about their discipline approach.
- Teacher-reported safety at 67% is well below the district average of 80.5%, and only 61% of teachers describe strong collegial trust, suggesting some staff-side tension.
- Chronic absenteeism at 68.6% is high — more than two-thirds of students missed enough school to qualify, which can undercut even strong classroom instruction.
- The family survey response rate was only 8%, so the glowing parent satisfaction numbers reflect a small, possibly non-representative sample.
- Teacher survey responses totaled just 40, a small pool that limits how much weight to give those numbers.
Based on 2023-24 data
School SummaryDistrict 7
Within District 7 and the surrounding Bronx charter landscape, KIPP Academy sits comfortably among the top-performing options — comparable to South Bronx Classical Charter II and Success Academy Bronx 1, and ahead of the district average overall score of about 2.01 out of 4. It's a clear standout academically within its peer set, though its discipline numbers run hotter than most of those peers.
Academics
KIPP's 69.3% ELA proficiency and 73% math proficiency both clear the district average by wide margins — roughly 18 points in ELA and 24 points in math. The long-term trajectory tells an even stronger story: ELA proficiency has climbed from 43.2% in 2016 to 69.3% in 2025, while math has gone from 51.5% to 73% over the same window. Results are fairly consistent across grades, with 8th-grade ELA hitting 82.1% and 7th-grade math at 80.2%, though 5th-grade math at 66.3% is a relative dip worth noting.
Culture
The parent-side picture is overwhelmingly positive: 97% of surveyed families report satisfaction, and trust in both teachers and the principal also hits 97% — though only 8% of families responded to the survey, so it's worth weighting accordingly. Teachers are noticeably less sanguine: only 67% report feeling safe (compared to a district average of 80.5%), and just 61% describe strong collegial trust. The discipline data raises real questions — a 12% suspension rate is more than ten times the district average, and total suspensions have climbed from 29 in 2021-22 to 48 in 2023-24. Attendance is right at the district average, but chronic absenteeism at 68.6% is high.
Community
KIPP's student body is 43% Black and 55% Hispanic, with a diversity index of 45% reflecting how concentrated those two groups are. The economic need index of 84.8% means most students come from low-income households — consistent with the surrounding neighborhood, where the median household income is around $40,000 and 34% of residents live in poverty. Sixteen percent of students have IEPs, which is meaningful representation of students with disabilities.
Neighborhood
KIPP Academy sits in the Concourse-Concourse Village section of the South Bronx, a working-class, transit-rich neighborhood where homeownership is rare (just 11%) and the median home value hovers around $350,000. About 13.7% of households include children, and only 15.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree — a community where the school's college-prep mission meets real economic headwinds. Families here rely heavily on public transit, with the B and D trains and the 4 train all within walking distance.
The 149 St-Grand Concourse station (2 and 5 trains) is about a 9-minute walk, and 161 St-Yankee Stadium (B, D, and 4 trains) is also about a 9-minute walk, giving families multiple subway options.
Enrollment & applying
Enrollment availability is tracked from the school's published listings and refreshed daily. Confirm cycle dates on the school's own site before applying.
Academic Performance
ELA Proficiency
Students scoring proficient or above on the NY State ELA exam.
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Math Proficiency
Students scoring proficient or above on the NY State Math exam.
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Science Proficiency
Students scoring proficient or above on the NY State Science exam.
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Historical Trends
The dashed line marks 2023, when New York changed its grades 3–8 state tests. Scores before and after it aren’t directly comparable.
2020–2021 data unavailable due to COVID-19
Source: NYC DOE School Quality Reports
Survey Results
NYC School Survey (2025) · 70 families responded (8% rate)
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Discipline
NYSED Student & Educator Database (2023-24)
Economic Need & Special Populations
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is KIPP Academy Charter School a good school?
- On Motley, KIPP Academy Charter School earns an overall rating of 71/100 — the average of the school's New York State ELA and math proficiency, grades 3–8, shown out of 100. Its state test results run above the District 7 average. Its high school grades have their own rating, 75/100, from graduation and Regents results.
- What grades does KIPP Academy Charter School serve?
- KIPP Academy Charter School serves grades K to 12.
- How do students get into KIPP Academy Charter School?
- KIPP Academy Charter School is a charter school — it admits through a free public lottery, with no test or attendance zone.
- Is KIPP Academy Charter School public, charter, or private?
- KIPP Academy Charter School is a public charter school in NYC Community School District 7.
- What neighborhood is KIPP Academy Charter School in?
- KIPP Academy Charter School is in Concourse-Concourse Village, Bronx.