Mott Hall IV

Mott Hall IV's 2025 proficiency rates — 38.5% in ELA and 32.3% in Math — sit roughly 14-18 percentage points below the District 23 averages. However, the school's historical performance is volatile: ELA jumped from 13.3% in 2019 to 44.9% in 2022 before settling at current levels, while math saw similar swings. Grade 7 performs notably stronger (52.9% in both subjects) than grades 6 and 8, suggesting inconsistent academic pathways or a particularly strong cohort. The 1.42 overall score on the 4-point scale is below the district average of 2.06, indicating this school is working to catch up rather than leading.

The survey data reveals a striking paradox: parents report 98% satisfaction and near-universal trust in teachers (98%) and the principal (95%), and rate instruction quality at 95%. Yet chronic absenteeism sits at a concerning 62.3% — among the highest in the district — and disciplinary incidents have climbed from zero suspensions in 2021-22 to seven in 2023-24. Teacher-to-teacher trust (78%) is notably lower than parent trust, and while the 6% suspension rate exceeds the district average of 1.58%, the absolute numbers remain small. The day-to-day feel appears strong for families engaged with the school, but attendance and behavior management present real challenges.

The student body is predominantly Black (63%) and Hispanic (33%), reflecting the Brownsville neighborhood's demographics. With 86.9% economic need and 32% students with IEPs, this serves a high-need population. The diversity index of 46% is moderate for the area. Notably, there's essentially no white enrollment, and only 3% Asian — this is a school serving primarily students of color in a neighborhood where 37.6% of residents live below the poverty line.

Brownsville is a Brooklyn neighborhood with deep community roots but significant challenges. The median household income of $33,494 is among the lowest in the city, and the poverty rate sits at 37.6%. Transit access is excellent (86.59 percentile), making the school reachable by public transportation. Safety scores are low (19.16 percentile), reflecting the neighborhood's crime density and lead exposure concerns. However, only 7.9% of households have children under 18, suggesting a less family-dense area than many parts of the city — making a school like this one particularly important for local families.

The area is residential with strong transit connectivity. Families rely primarily on public transportation, as only 14.2% of neighborhood residents own homes.