At a Glance
A zoned Bronx elementary where families feel deeply connected — and where test scores just made their biggest leap in nearly a decade.
Best suited for
Families zoned for the school who value a tight, relationship-driven community and can commit to supporting their child's consistent daily attendance.
Overall Rating
Rating = average of NY State ELA + math proficiency, grades 3–8
Bands are Motley's thresholds on a 0–100 scale, not New York State performance levels.
How this is scored→What stands out
- ELA proficiency now sits meaningfully above the district average after a multi-year climb — a real turnaround.
- Parent satisfaction and trust scores (98% and 99%) are among the strongest in the district.
- Zero suspensions for three consecutive years, a rare achievement at any zoned school.
- Grade 3 math proficiency at 65.6% shows genuine early-grade strength.
- A near-perfect 100% on the "strong relationships" survey item suggests a notably warm school culture.
Things to consider
- Chronic absenteeism at 60.1% is severe — daily attendance will be a real hurdle for many students.
- Teacher-reported safety at 73% lags the district average by ten points.
- Math proficiency drops sharply between Grade 3 (65.6%) and Grade 5 (23.2%), signaling a need for stronger upper-grade math support.
- The walk to the subway is longer than at many Bronx schools, complicating car-free commutes.
- PTA fundraising is minimal ($2/student), so families shouldn't expect robust paid enrichment programs.
Based on 2024-25 data
School SummaryDistrict 9
District 9's overall average is 1.79 out of 4, and P.S. 063 edges just above that at 1.88 — solid for a zoned school but well behind the charter options in the area (Icahn, Success Academy, Bronx Charter for Excellence), which dominate the top peer slots in the district.
Academics
ELA proficiency at 50.3% sits comfortably above the district average of 44.8%, while math at 43.8% lands right at the district mark. The story underneath is a sharp rebound — ELA more than doubled from a low of 24.5% in 2022, and math climbed from 22.5% to the mid-40s over the same window. The split by grade is telling: Grade 3 math is strong at 65.6%, but Grade 5 math drops to 23.2%, suggesting students struggle to hold gains as they move into the upper grades.
Culture
Parents give this school rave reviews — 98% satisfaction, 99% trust in the principal, and a perfect 100% on strong relationships, all well above district norms. But the teacher survey tells a more cautious story: only 83% rate instruction quality positively (vs. 90% district-wide) and just 73% feel safe, compared to 83% across the district. Attendance is a serious concern, with chronic absenteeism at 60.1%, meaning roughly three of every five students miss 10% or more of the school year. The discipline side is a clear bright spot: zero suspensions for three straight years.
Community
The student body mirrors its Morrisania neighborhood — 63% Hispanic and 32% Black, with an economic need index of 93.7% signaling near-universal economic disadvantage. About a quarter of students have IEPs, well above the citywide norm. PTA fundraising totals just $2 per student, the lowest band in the district, which means enrichment programs almost certainly run lean. The diversity index of 48% reflects a community that is largely Latino and Black rather than broadly mixed.
Neighborhood
Morrisania is a densely populated, working-class neighborhood where the median household income sits around $33,000 and more than a third of residents live below the poverty line. Just 8.9% of households own their homes, and only 11.5% include children, so the families who do live here are navigating a tight economic landscape. About 15% of neighborhood adults hold a bachelor's degree.
The 2/5 trains serve the area, but the nearest stations — Freeman Street, Intervale Avenue, and Simpson Street — are all 11 to 14 minutes on foot, so most families rely on buses or car rides for the daily commute.
Academic Performance
ELA Proficiency
Students scoring proficient or above on the NY State ELA exam.
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Math Proficiency
Students scoring proficient or above on the NY State Math exam.
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Historical Trends
The dashed line marks 2023, when New York changed its grades 3–8 state tests. Scores before and after it aren’t directly comparable.
2020–2021 data unavailable due to COVID-19
Source: NYC DOE School Quality Reports
Survey Results
NYC School Survey (2025) · 173 families responded (47% rate)
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
PTA Fundraising
Source: DOE Local Law 171 disclosure
Discipline
NYSED Student & Educator Database (2023-24)
Economic Need & Special Populations
How to get in, step by step
Pre-K
P.S. 063 Author's Academy also has Pre-K classes. They're a separate application from kindergarten, made on MySchools.
Pre-K application
Applications typically open in the winter and close in the spring, with offers in late spring; the city announces exact dates each year.
Kindergarten
P.S. 063 Author's Academy has an attendance zone. At elementary level, in-zone students get a guaranteed seat. Every family still applies on MySchools: the application confirms the zoned seat, and ranking other schools doesn't cost you it.
Kindergarten application
- Opens
- Wed, Dec 9
- Closes
- Fri, Jan 22
- Offers
- Tue, Mar 30
The DOE’s published dates.
- 1Check that your address is inside the zone — zones change, so confirm it before you sign a lease.
- 2Apply during the kindergarten application, even with a zoned seat.
- 3Rank this school along with any others you'd take, in true preference order.
Open houses and tours
We haven’t seen open-house dates for this school yet.
From the MySchools admissions calendar, checked weekly.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is P.S. 063 Author's Academy a good school?
- On Motley, P.S. 063 Author's Academy earns an overall rating of 47/100 — the average of the school's New York State ELA and math proficiency, grades 3–8, shown out of 100. Its state test results run in line with the District 9 average.
- What grades does P.S. 063 Author's Academy serve?
- P.S. 063 Author's Academy serves grades Pre-K to 5.
- How do students get into P.S. 063 Author's Academy?
- P.S. 063 Author's Academy admits by zone — children who live in its attendance zone get a guaranteed seat.
- Is P.S. 063 Author's Academy public, charter, or private?
- P.S. 063 Author's Academy is a public school in NYC Community School District 9.
- What neighborhood is P.S. 063 Author's Academy in?
- P.S. 063 Author's Academy is in Morrisania, Bronx.