P.S. 032 Belmont

ELA proficiency sits at 35.3% and math at 26.1%, both well below District 10 averages of roughly 45% and 43.5%. The school's overall quality rating is 1.23 out of 4, compared to a district average of 1.77. That said, the recent year marks a real inflection point: ELA jumped from 22.5% to 35.3% in a single year, and math rebounded from a low of 6.9% in 2022 to 26.1% now. The Grade 3 cohort is the clear bright spot (40.3% ELA, 47.9% math), while Grade 5 math proficiency is just 8% — a notable weak point.

What jumps out is the split between how families feel and how day-to-day runs. Parent satisfaction is 95% (above the district average), with parent-teacher trust at 97% and parent-principal trust at 96%, and 100% of teachers report strong relationships with students — that's a tight community. Teacher instruction quality (94%) and collegial trust (95%) both outperform the district. On the harder side, teacher-reported safety sits at 82% (below the district's 87%), and chronic absenteeism hits 52% — meaning more than half the students miss 10% or more of school days. Discipline, meanwhile, is essentially a non-issue: zero suspensions across three straight years.

The student body is 78% Hispanic and 17% Black, closely mirroring the surrounding Belmont neighborhood, which is predominantly Latino and working-class. About 23% of students have IEPs, and the school's economic need index is 94%, signaling that virtually every family qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. The family survey brought in 146 responses (a healthy 29% response rate), and parents are clearly engaged — even though PTA fundraising lands at only about $7 per student.

Belmont is a working-class Bronx neighborhood where median household income is around $33,000 and over a third of residents live below the poverty line. Homeownership is rare (under 4%) — most families rent — while the median home value near $395,000 reflects the broader housing market rather than typical resident wealth. Roughly 10% of households have children, and about 13% of adults hold a bachelor's degree. For many families here, the school is one of the most stable anchors in a child's week.

There's no quick subway hop — the nearest stations are both about an 18-minute walk: the 2/5 at West Farms Square–East Tremont Avenue and the B/D at Fordham Road. Most families likely walk, take the bus, or get dropped off.