At a Glance
A small, community-rooted high school with near-universal parent satisfaction but very low enrollment demand
Families seeking a small, intimate school environment with strong parent-community ties and a restorative approach to discipline — particularly those with children who have IEPs or need intensive support services. Families prioritizing academic competition or rigorous test preparation may want to look at other District 21 options.
- Zero suspensions — restorative discipline approach
- 100% parent satisfaction rate, highest in the district
- Very high parent trust in teachers and principal (97%)
- High teacher collegial trust (96%)
- 41% of students have IEPs — strong special education support
- Rich extracurricular offerings including Junior Citizens Police Academy, Liberated Leaders, and School Newspaper
- Very low application demand — only 13 applicants for 25 seats suggests families may be choosing other schools
- Teacher-reported instruction quality (75%) and teacher-principal trust (75%) are significantly below district averages
- Family survey response rate of 7% and only 8 teacher responses mean climate data represents a very small sample
- Academic proficiency data not available — cannot assess core academic performance
- High student turnover risk due to small enrollment (194 students across 4 grades)
- Neighborhood has limited family-oriented resources and low safety scores
Based on 2024-2025 data
School SummaryDistrict 21
Liberation Diploma Plus occupies an unusual position in District 21, which includes highly sought schools like Success Academy Charter School - Bensonhurst (95/100) and Brooklyn School of Inquiry (94/100). Unlike those competitive options, this school has more available seats than applicants. The peer comparison underscores that this is not a traditional academic powerhouse but rather a community school serving a high-need population.
Academic performance data was not provided for this school, making it difficult to benchmark against district averages of 60% ELA and 63% math proficiency. The school offers a Humanities academic track with class sizes (24.6) exactly matching the district average.
The school's culture data reveals a stark split: parents report near-universal satisfaction and trust (97-100% across parent-teacher and parent-principal trust), while teachers report notably lower confidence in leadership (75% teacher-principal trust and teacher instruction quality). However, teacher collegial trust is excellent at 96%, suggesting staff support each other even if doubts exist about administrative direction. With zero suspensions, the school has taken a restorative approach to discipline.
The student body is predominantly Black (48%) and Hispanic (37%), with a high economic need index of 90.8% — meaning nearly all students qualify for free or reduced lunch. Forty-one percent of students have IEPs, indicating significant special education support needs. The diversity index of 62% reflects a relatively diverse composition. This mirrors the neighborhood's demographics, where the poverty rate is 27.8% and only 35.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree.
Coney Island-Sea Gate is a neighborhood with significant challenges: low safety scores (36.78 percentile), limited family density (45.21), and few stability indicators (12.26). The median household income of $43,818 is well below citywide averages, though home values are surprisingly high at $886,404 — reflecting the area's coastal location. Transit access is moderate (60.15), but family-oriented resources and health environment scores are low.
The neighborhood is walkable in areas near the Coney Island boardwalk and commercial corridors, but families should expect to rely on public transit or car travel given the area's layout and limited bike infrastructure.
Survey Results
NYC School Survey (2025) · 12 families responded (7% rate)
Programs & Activities
Admissions Demand
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Economic Need & Special Populations
Discipline
NYSED Student & Educator Database
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Liberation Diploma Plus a good school?
- Published quality ratings aren't available for Liberation Diploma Plus yet on Motley. It's a public school serving grades 9 to 12 in Coney Island-Sea Gate.
- What grades does Liberation Diploma Plus serve?
- Liberation Diploma Plus serves grades 9 to 12.
- Is Liberation Diploma Plus public, charter, or private?
- Liberation Diploma Plus is a public school in NYC Community School District 21.
- What neighborhood is Liberation Diploma Plus in?
- Liberation Diploma Plus is in Coney Island-Sea Gate, Brooklyn.
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