P.S. 039 Henry Bristow

P.S. 39's proficiency rates are remarkable — 91.9% in ELA and 94.2% in math tower over the District 15 averages of 65.5% and 63.3%. The trajectory is upward: 2016 scores sat in the mid-to-high 70s, and the school has now settled into the low 90s with a notable math jump this year (94.2%, up from 82.1% in 2023). Every tested grade clears 90% in both subjects, with 5th-grade math reaching 97.7%.

The building feels orderly: 95% daily attendance and three straight years with zero suspensions signal a calm, well-managed environment. Parents trust their children's teachers (94%) and report high satisfaction (93%), but the relationship with school leadership is more uneven — parents rate principal trust at 73%, and teachers rate the same dimension at just 33%. Teacher-reported instruction quality (82%) also trails the district average of 89%, worth asking about on a tour.

The student body is 72% white, 10% Asian, 10% Hispanic, and 4% Black — a 55% diversity index that is less mixed than the citywide average but mirrors Park Slope's demographics. The economic need index of 17.1% (well below the citywide norm) confirms this is a low-poverty, parent-funded school. About 11% of students have IEPs, and the PTA raises essentially at the district average per student, a typical high mark for District 15.

Park Slope is one of Brooklyn's wealthiest, most family-saturated neighborhoods: 24% of households include children, over four in five adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and median home values clear $1.6 million. The blocks around the school are dense with brownstones, playgrounds, and stroller traffic. Families choosing this zoned school are often buying into the long-term neighborhood as much as the school itself.

From the school, the 7 Av station on the F and G lines is about a 5-minute walk; the 4 Av-9 St stop on the R is about 7 minutes on foot, and the F/G entrance at 4 Av-9 St is roughly 8 minutes away.