P.S. 055 Benjamin Franklin

P.S. 055's proficiency rates — 26.1% in ELA and 25.5% in math — sit meaningfully below the District 9 averages of roughly 45% in both subjects, and the 1.03/4 overall score is also well under the district's 1.79/4. But the trend line tells a more hopeful story: scores were in the low teens in 2016 and 2017, climbed to a peak of 36.4% ELA and 32.2% math in 2019, dipped during the pandemic years, and have now recovered for two consecutive years. Grade 3 math at 35% is the strongest data point in the building, while grade 5 math at 19.4% shows where the work remains. Students here are catching up, not leading — but they are catching up.

The day-to-day feel here is defined by trust. Parent-principal trust at 99% and parent-teacher trust at 97% are exceptional — parents clearly feel heard, and 96% of families report satisfaction, above the district average. Teacher-reported safety at 71%, however, is meaningfully below the district's 83%, suggesting adults in the building have some reservations about the environment even as the zero-suspension record (three years running) speaks to a non-punitive discipline approach. Teacher agreement on collegial trust is just 67%, and only 13 teachers responded to the survey, so that signal is worth reading with caution. Strong relationships are reported by 83% of respondents — a solid middle-of-the-road number.

The student body is almost entirely Hispanic (54%) and Black (45%), with a small White (1%) population and 18% of students with IEPs. The school mirrors its surrounding neighborhood, which is majority Hispanic and Black as well, and where nearly half of households live below the poverty line. The 42% diversity index reflects that this is not a heavily mixed community — most families share cultural and linguistic backgrounds.

Claremont Village-Claremont (East) is a working-class Bronx neighborhood where the median household income is around $30,475 and 44% of residents live in poverty. Homeownership is extremely low at just 2.7%, meaning most families rent, and only about 10% of households include children — so families with school-age kids are a real presence but not the majority. Just 11% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the median home value sits near $629,000 despite low incomes, a reflection of broader New York housing costs in a neighborhood with limited wealth.

There is no subway right at the school's door. Families rely on the B and D lines at 170 Street (about an 11-minute walk) or 174-175 Streets (about a 15-minute walk), with the 4 train at Mt Eden Avenue roughly 16 minutes away on foot. Bus service and walking are likely the more practical day-to-day options.