P.S. 001 The Bergen

On the most recent state tests, 39.9% of students met proficiency in ELA and 36.5% in math — well below the District 15 averages of 65.5% and 63.3%, respectively. The school's overall quality score of 1.53 out of 4 also sits below the district average of 2.58. The trend line tells a more interesting story: ELA proficiency has bounced between 17 and 32 for years, but the 2025 jump to 39.9% is the largest single-year gain on record. Math has been steadier, climbing from a low of 23.7% in 2022 to 36.5% in 2025. By grade, 5th graders outperformed 4th graders in both subjects, and 3rd graders posted the strongest ELA score (46.7%) — suggesting the upper elementary grades are where momentum is building.

Despite academic challenges, the school culture reads as warm and well-run. Parent satisfaction is 95%, trust between parents and teachers is 98%, and trust between teachers and the principal is also 98% — all above district averages. Teachers rate safety at 98% and instruction quality at 93%, both higher than the district norm. The discipline picture is unusually clean for a school of this size: zero suspensions in each of the last three reported years, versus a district average suspension rate of about 0.28%. The one serious flag is chronic absenteeism at 63.7%, which means nearly two-thirds of students missed enough school to be flagged — a rate that is likely the biggest drag on academic outcomes here. Attendance on any given day sits at 91%, just below the district average of 93.5%.

P.S. 1 serves 845 students, making it one of the larger elementary schools in the area. The student body is 88% Hispanic, 7% Asian, 3% White, and 1% Black, with a diversity index of just 27% — one of the more homogeneous populations in the district. About 85.7% of students qualify as economically needy, and 19% have IEPs. The school mirrors its surrounding Sunset Park census tract, which has a median household income of about $81,000 and a poverty rate of 17.3%, though the school population skews lower-income than the neighborhood as a whole. Family survey response was strong at 54%, with 347 families weighing in — a sign that parents here are engaged with the school even if day-to-day attendance is a struggle.

Sunset Park (West) is a working- and middle-class neighborhood with a median household income around $81,000, a poverty rate of 17.3%, and a homeownership rate of just 25% — most families rent. About 20% of households have children at home, and 35.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The area is densely built and well-served by the R train at 45th Street and 53rd Street, with the N and R at 59th Street a bit farther out.

The school is essentially at the 45th Street R stop — about a two-minute walk — with the 53rd Street R train about seven minutes away and the 59th Street N/R station roughly thirteen minutes on foot. Most local families will walk or take the R.