M.S. 246 Walt Whitman

At 40% ELA and 33% math proficiency, Walt Whitman sits meaningfully below the district averages of roughly 60% and 57%, respectively. But the trend line is the headline here: ELA more than doubled from 16% in 2016 to 40% in 2025, and math rose from 10% to 33% over the same span. 7th grade is the bright spot — 43% ELA and 45% math — suggesting something is clicking as students adjust to middle school. The school still has real ground to cover, but the direction of travel is the right one.

Parents speak glowingly of the school: 90% are satisfied, 96% trust the principal, and 91% trust teachers — all healthy numbers. Teachers are somewhat less effusive (83% trust the principal, 72% collegial trust) but rate instruction quality at 89%, matching the district average. Two things parents should know: chronic absenteeism runs at nearly 60%, meaning the average student misses about a month of school, and suspensions jumped from 3 to 14 over two years — a sharp recent uptick worth asking about.

The student body is 57% Black, 32% Hispanic, 6% White, 3% Asian, and 2% Native American — a mix that mirrors the surrounding East Flatbush neighborhood, which has long been a hub for Caribbean-American families alongside growing immigrant and Hispanic communities. The economic need index of 83 indicates most students come from households under financial strain. About a quarter of students have IEPs and ELL support is offered, so this is a school used to supporting a wide range of learners.

East Flatbush-Erasmus is a densely built, working- and middle-class neighborhood with a median household income around $72,000 — solidly above the citywide poverty line but well below Manhattan averages. About a third of adults hold a bachelor's degree, and homeownership is relatively low at 17%, with most families renting. The neighborhood has strong civic and religious institutions and a settled Caribbean-American presence. Families here get around mostly by subway and bus.

The 2/5 runs are the workhorse here: Church Av is about a 6-minute walk, Beverly Rd about 7 minutes, and Winthrop St about 13 minutes. Most families can reach the school on foot from the trains.