P.S. 042 Claremont

With 27.3% ELA proficiency and 38.1% math proficiency, P.S. 042 sits meaningfully below the district averages of roughly 45% in both subjects — students here are catching up, not leading. But the trajectory is genuinely encouraging: math proficiency more than doubled from 16.8% in 2016 to 38.1% in 2025, and ELA climbed from 16.3% to 27.3% over the same period, even accounting for pandemic-era dips. Fifth-grade ELA at 43.2% is the strongest grade-level performance, suggesting students build real skills as they move through the school. The overall quality score of 1.31 out of 4.0 places the school below the district average of 1.79, but the trend line is the more useful story here.

The climate picture at P.S. 042 is one of the more interesting things about this school. Zero suspensions across three consecutive years is genuinely rare and signals a calm, restorative environment rather than a punitive one. Parent trust is exceptionally high — 100% of families report satisfaction, and parent-teacher and parent-principal trust scores sit at 99% and 96% respectively, well above what most schools post. Teacher trust in the principal is more modest at 74%, and teacher-rated instruction quality (80%) and safety (79%) lag behind district averages, which suggests staff see room for growth in leadership support or instructional consistency. Attendance is a real challenge: at 87.8% it sits below the district average, and chronic absenteeism runs above 51% — meaning more than half of students miss significant school time, which is a serious obstacle to academic progress.

P.S. 042's enrollment is 65% Hispanic and 32% Black, with very small numbers of Asian, White, and multi-racial students — a population that mirrors the surrounding neighborhood rather than drawing from across the city. With an economic need index of 94.2%, almost every student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, and 34% have IEPs, which is notably high and means the school carries a significant special education caseload. The diversity index of 44% reflects the within-Black/Hispanic mix rather than a broad racial spread across many groups.

The school sits in Claremont Village-Claremont (East), a Bronx neighborhood where the median household income is around $30,475 and 44% of residents live below the poverty line. Homeownership is just 2.7% — meaning almost everyone rents — and only about 10% of households include children, suggesting this is largely an adult neighborhood where families with kids are a minority. The share of adults with a bachelor's degree is 11.4%, well below the city average. Despite the economic challenges, the area has a stable housing market reflected in a median home value of $629,284, driven largely by multifamily buildings rather than single-family ownership.

Getting to school from the subway takes some commitment — the nearest stops are 170 St and 174-175 Sts on the B and D lines, both about an 11–13 minute walk away, and Tremont Av (also B and D) is roughly 17 minutes on foot. Most families likely walk or take local buses rather than rely on the train.