Mott Hall High School

Mott Hall's curriculum centers on AP courses, a STEM track, ELL support, and Spanish as a world language, paired with College & Scholarship programming and a National Honor Society chapter. The course list is narrow compared to larger comprehensive high schools, but the programming is clearly aimed at college preparation. Families tracking ELA and math outcomes against the district's roughly 54% and 51% averages will want to ask the school directly for current proficiency data.

The climate numbers here are striking: 97% of families trust their child's teacher, 96% trust the principal, and 93% of teachers trust their principal — all above District 5 averages. Discipline tells the same story — zero total suspensions against a district rate of about 1.2%. Teacher-reported instruction quality lands at 90%, beating the district mark of 88%. One caveat: only 26 teachers responded to the climate survey, so small-school volatility is worth keeping in mind. The picture from families is clear and consistent — this is a calm, connected building where relationships do the heavy lifting.

The student body is 42% Black, 49% Hispanic, 6% White, and small shares of Asian and multi-racial students — a near-even Black/Hispanic split that mirrors the surrounding neighborhood. The economic need index of 88.9 (out of 100) is high, meaning the vast majority of students come from low-income households, and 29% of students have IEPs — meaningfully above the typical share, signaling Mott Hall's role as a place that supports a wide range of learners. The school reflects its community closely, with its mix of English learners, students with disabilities, and families navigating real economic pressure.

Mott Hall sits in Harlem (North), a neighborhood where roughly a quarter of households live below the poverty line and the median household income hovers around $55,000 — modest by Manhattan standards. Only about 10% of local households include children, meaning this is largely a long-rooted adult and family-of-origin neighborhood rather than a school-density magnet. Homeownership is low at 12.6%, while the typical home value near $714,000 reflects the long-running upward pressure on housing across upper Manhattan.

Transit is a real strength — the 135 St station on the C and B lines is just a 2-minute walk, the 2 and 3 trains at the same station are an 8-minute walk, and the A, C, B, and D lines at 125 St are about 11 minutes on foot.