P.S. 009 Sarah Anderson

Both ELA (86.4%) and math (87.1%) proficiency tower over district averages of 59% and 54% respectively, putting PS 9 in the top tier of Manhattan zoned elementary schools. The trend is steadily upward: ELA climbed from 77% in 2016 to 86% in 2025, with notable jumps in the last two years, and math moved from 83% to 87% over the same period. Scores by grade show real acceleration at the upper end — 91% of fifth graders hit ELA proficiency and 88% hit math — meaning the school sustains and builds gains rather than peaking early.

The survey results are uniformly excellent. Parent-principal trust sits at 99%, parent-teacher trust at 98%, and 97% of parents say they're satisfied — each roughly 10 points above the district average. Teachers report 95% on instruction quality, 97% collegial trust, and 97% feel safe. Zero suspensions across three straight years points to a calm, well-managed environment. Attendance at 95% beats the district's 90.4%, reinforcing that families and staff show up consistently.

Sixty percent of students are white, 18% Hispanic, 10% Asian, 9% multiracial, and 4% Black, reflecting a population that closely tracks the demographics of the surrounding Upper West Side census tracts. Fifteen percent of students have IEPs, and an economic need index of 22.1% suggests fewer students from low-income backgrounds than the citywide average. The diversity index of 66% places PS 9 in the moderately diverse range — more heterogeneous than many Manhattan zoned schools, less so than the city as a whole.

The Upper West Side is one of Manhattan's wealthiest and most family-oriented neighborhoods. Median household income tops $151,000, the poverty rate is just 8.3%, and 80% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Nearly 38% of households own their homes — extraordinarily high for Manhattan — and 17% of households include children, so the streets are packed with strollers, dog walkers, and the kind of parks-and-libraries infrastructure that comes from deep generational investment.

Subway access is solid: the 1 train at 86th Street is about a six-minute walk, and the B and C lines run through both 81st Street (near the Museum of Natural History) and 86th Street, each about six minutes away.