NYC Charter High School for Architecture, Engineering and Construction Industries (AECI)

Specific proficiency and trend numbers for AECI weren't provided, so we can't say exactly where it lands against District 7's roughly 51% ELA and 49% math proficiency averages. What we can say: class sizes run about 20.5 students, essentially identical to the district average of 20.6, so your child isn't getting notably smaller or larger group instruction than peers elsewhere. The school's 20% IEP rate means a real share of students need additional support, which parents should ask about directly during a tour.

The climate numbers here are genuinely striking. Parent satisfaction is 100%, parent-teacher trust is 100%, and parent-principal trust is 100% — all well above the district's already-strong 93.5% parent satisfaction average. Even more telling, 424 families responded to the survey (a 98% response rate), which suggests families aren't just satisfied — they're actively engaged. On the staff side, teacher trust in the principal runs 96% and teacher collegial trust sits at 88%, indicating a faculty that mostly works well together and feels supported by leadership. Teacher-reported instruction quality of 94% is meaningfully above the 88.4% district average. This is the kind of culture data that tells you families feel heard and teachers feel backed.

AECI's student body is 60% Hispanic and 39% Black, a mix that closely mirrors the surrounding Melrose/South Bronx community rather than pulling from a wider geography. The diversity index of 41% — driven by the fact that nearly the entire school identifies within just two racial categories — is lower than you'd see at a more racially mixed school, but reflects a strong, culturally connected community rather than a lack of inclusion. Twenty percent of students have IEPs, signaling that the school serves a meaningful share of students with disabilities. The economic need index of 86 indicates most students come from lower-income households, consistent with neighborhood demographics.

Melrose is a working-class South Bronx neighborhood where the median household income is around $30,236 and over a third of residents live below the poverty line. Only about 10% of households own their homes, and just 13.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree — the school is serving a community where college-going isn't yet the default life path, which makes a career-themed high school like AECI a particularly deliberate fit. Roughly 15.7% of households have children, and the median home value sits at $365,899, modest by city standards but reflecting the area's mix of small apartment buildings and limited stock.

The school is reachable on foot from three nearby subway stops: Jackson Ave (2/5) about 8 minutes, Prospect Ave (2/5) about 10 minutes, and 3 Ave-149 St (2/5) about 11 minutes. All three run along the 2/5 line, so families from across the Bronx and into Upper Manhattan can reach the school directly.