P.S. 016 Wakefield

With ELA proficiency at 32.2% and math at 35.8%, P.S. 016 sits well below the district averages of roughly 57% and 56% respectively, and the school's overall quality score of 1.36/4 is below the district average of 2.25. The trend is more encouraging than the snapshot suggests — proficiency climbed from the low 20s in 2016-2017, dipped during the COVID years, and 2025's math score is the highest in the data set. Grade 3 math is the strongest academic spot at 45.3%, while Grade 4 ELA trails at 26.8%.

The day-to-day feel here is one of strong family engagement paired with some internal staff tension. Parent satisfaction (95%), parent-teacher trust (97%), and parent-principal trust (99%) all run above district averages, and 73% of families weighed in on the survey — families clearly feel heard. The teacher picture is more complicated: teacher-principal trust sits at just 68% versus a district average of 92%, and teacher-reported instruction quality is 84% versus 92% district-wide, suggesting staff don't feel as aligned with leadership as families do. Discipline is a clear bright spot with zero suspensions across three consecutive years. Teacher-reported safety at 89% is below the district 95%, worth noting.

P.S. 016's student body mirrors its neighborhood: roughly 47% Hispanic, 37% Black, and 7% Native American, with smaller Asian and White populations. The economic need index of 80.4% means most students come from low-income households, and 18% of students have IEPs. Despite the modest resources, PTA fundraising came in at $28 per student — slightly above the district average of $24 — and the 73% family survey response rate is unusually high, signaling a community that shows up when asked.

Wakefield-Woodlawn is a largely owner-occupied Bronx neighborhood with a median home value around $555,000 and a homeownership rate of about 44%. Median household income sits near $73,000, with roughly 18% of residents below the poverty line and 15.5% of households including children. About 30% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the mix of incomes and tenure makes it a stable, family-oriented area where many households have put down long-term roots.

The 2 train at Wakefield-241 St is about a 4-minute walk, with Nereid Av (2,5) roughly 6 minutes on foot and 233 St (2,5) about 14 minutes away — making subway commuting straightforward for families throughout the area.