P.S. 098 Shorac Kappock

P.S. 098's 37% ELA proficiency and 35.4% math proficiency both trail District 6 averages (47% ELA, 52% math), and the school's overall quality score of 1.45/4 sits below the district's 1.98. But the trajectory tells a different story than the snapshot: in 2016, only 16% of students were proficient in ELA and 14% in math. By 2023, math proficiency hit 50.6% — a remarkable jump. There's been some give-back since then (math dipped to 35.4%, ELA to 37%), suggesting volatility year to year, but the long arc is clearly upward. Grade 5 ELA stands out at 50%, while Grade 3 math at 23.8% is a noticeable weak spot.

This is a school where families feel genuinely connected: 98% report strong relationships, 97% trust both teachers and the principal, and parent satisfaction is 94%. The day-to-day climate is calm — zero suspensions in each of the last three years. But two signals give a parent pause. First, teacher-reported safety at 87% trails the district's 93%, and teacher trust in the principal sits at 65% — well below the 97% that families give, suggesting a meaningful gap between how parents and staff experience the school. Second, chronic absenteeism at 65.7% means roughly two out of three students miss 10% or more of school days, even though average attendance of 91.5% looks fine on paper. That's a real barrier to learning gains.

P.S. 098's students are overwhelmingly Hispanic (93%), with small numbers of Black (3%) and White (4%) students, and very few Asian students. This closely tracks Inwood's identity as a Dominican-rooted neighborhood. The economic need index of 82.1% signals a high-poverty population, and 16% of students have IEPs. With only 335 students total, classes average about 22 kids — slightly under the district average. PTA fundraising is unusually low at $4 per student versus $52 across District 6, which can mean fewer enrichment programs funded by parents.

Inwood is the northernmost neighborhood in Manhattan, and its census tells a particular story: median household income of $63,123, a 15.4% poverty rate, only 15.2% of households with children, and a striking 9.2% homeownership rate, meaning most residents rent. About 40% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher, and median home values sit around $508,000. The neighborhood is family-dense in the sense that those who do raise kids here tend to cluster around the schools, even if households-with-children as a share is modest citywide.

Three subway stops serve the area within a few minutes' walk: Inwood-207 St on the A line (~3 minutes), 215 St on the 1 line (~4 minutes), and 207 St on the 1 line (~5 minutes). Getting here by train is genuinely easy.