New Explorations into Science, Technology and Math High School

Proficiency rates of 99.6% in ELA and 99.1% in math sit in a different universe than the District 1 averages of roughly 52% and 47% respectively — this is a school where students are not just meeting but vastly exceeding grade-level expectations. Scores by grade show 100% proficiency in grades 3 through 7 in both subjects, with high school-level grades slightly lower but still in the upper 90s. The trajectory is meaningfully upward: from 92.1%/94.9% in 2016 to where it stands today, with each successive year generally inching higher.

Daily attendance clocks in at 95.8%, comfortably above the District 1 average of about 89%, which suggests families prioritize showing up. The school reported zero suspensions — essentially unheard of at this enrollment size — and surveys reflect strong community cohesion: 95% parent satisfaction, 98% parent-principal trust, and 91% of teachers reporting a safe environment. Teacher collegial trust and trust in leadership also score in the low-to-mid 90s, painting a picture of a calm, mission-aligned staff.

With 36% Asian and 39% White enrollment, the student body does not mirror the Lower East Side around it, which has a much higher share of Hispanic and Black residents and a poverty rate above 23%. The school's economic need index of 25.6 (lower means less need) reflects a family body that is, on average, considerably more affluent than the neighborhood footprint. Thirteen percent of students have IEPs, and the school supports ELL students as well. Total enrollment of 1,640 makes it one of the larger K-12 campuses in the city.

The Lower East Side is a dense, walkable, mixed-income neighborhood where the median household income sits around $58,000 and just 6.5% of households include children — a notably low share for a residential New York neighborhood. Forty-four percent of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and homeownership is rare, with most families renting. The school sits within a community that skews young and educated, even if many families who attend NEST+m commute in from elsewhere.

The closest subway is Delancey St-Essex St on the M, J, and Z lines (about a 9-minute walk), with the F train at the same station roughly a 10-minute walk; the 2 Av F stop is about a 13-minute walk away.