P.S. 073 Bronx

At 27.7% ELA proficiency and 37.1% math proficiency, P.S. 073 sits meaningfully below the district average of 44.8% in ELA and 44.7% in math, and its overall score of 1.3/4 trails the district's 1.79/4. But the year-over-year trajectory is genuinely encouraging: ELA proficiency has more than doubled since 2016 (from 11.7%), and math has climbed from 8.3% to 37.1% in the same window — the steepest sustained gains in the dataset. The strongest performance is in the upper grades, with Grade 5 students reaching 34.6% ELA proficiency and 50% in math, while Grade 3 sits at 23.7% and 23.1%. This is a school that is clearly building momentum, with younger students likely to carry these gains forward.

The day-to-day climate at P.S. 073 is unusually positive for a school with this demographic profile. Teachers rate instructional quality at 100% and their sense of safety at 97% — both well above the district averages of 90% and 83%. Parents report 97% trust in teachers, 95% trust in the principal, and 100% say there are strong relationships between adults and students. There have been zero suspensions for three consecutive years — rare for any elementary school, and especially notable here given the school's economic profile. The major climate caveat is chronic absenteeism: half of all students miss 18 or more days a year, with overall attendance at 87.4% (below the district's 90.1%). Boys (53%) and Black students (66%) have notably higher absenteeism than Hispanic students (46%). The school clearly has warm adult culture — but getting kids through the door consistently is a real, ongoing challenge.

The student body closely mirrors the surrounding neighborhood: 74% Hispanic, 26% Black, and 1% White, with a diversity index of just 34% — among the lower-diversity schools in the city. The economic need index of 91.5 means nearly every student qualifies for free or reduced lunch, and 19% of students have IEPs. With only 313 students total and an average class size of 20.8 (matching the district), this is a small school where most kids and families know each other well.

Highbridge is a working-class neighborhood in the central Bronx where the median household income is about $40,235 and roughly a third of residents live below the poverty line. Only 13% of households have children under 18, and just 4.5% of homes are owner-occupied — most families rent. The 16.3% rate of residents with a bachelor's degree is well below the city average, and 31.9% of residents live in poverty, putting real pressure on the families who send their kids to P.S. 073.

The school is a roughly seven-minute walk from three subway options: the 4 train and the B and D trains at 161 St-Yankee Stadium, and the 4 train at 167 St. Most families arrive on foot or by subway.