P.S. 109 Sedgwick

P.S. 109's proficiency rates — 32.7% ELA and 24.6% math in 2025 — sit well below the district 9 averages of roughly 45% in both subjects, and the overall score of 1.15 out of 4 confirms a real gap. Scores have been volatile over the past decade: about 20% ELA from 2016–2017, a bump to 31% in 2018–2019, a steep drop during the pandemic years to as low as 18.5% ELA and 12% math in 2024, then a meaningful rebound to 32.7% ELA and 24.6% math in 2025. Grade-by-grade, the picture is uneven — grade 5 ELA is a bright spot at 44.9%, while grade 5 math at 16.3% is a real flag for that grade level. The trajectory from 2024 to 2025 is genuinely upward, but the school is catching up, not leading.

There's a striking split between how families and teachers experience P.S. 109. Families are nearly unanimous in their praise — 98% parent satisfaction, 99% parent-teacher trust, 98% parent-principal trust, and a perfect 100% on 'strong relationships.' Teachers tell a more complicated story: only 73% rate instruction quality positively (versus 90% district-wide) and just 68% trust the principal. Teacher-reported safety at 83% matches the district average. On the upside, the school has recorded zero suspensions for three straight years — remarkable for a 490-student building. The daily feel, through the family lens, is warm and relational; through the teacher lens, there's more work to do on instructional leadership.

P.S. 109's student body is 77% Hispanic and 21% Black, with an economic need index of 92.2 — nearly every student comes from a low-income household. Twenty-one percent have IEPs, and the diversity index of 35% reflects that the community is concentrated rather than broadly mixed. The neighborhood around the school mirrors these demographics closely, with a median household income of $32,393 and a poverty rate of 37.3%. In many ways, the school is the institutional expression of the block it sits on.

The school sits in the University Heights-Morris Heights area of the Bronx, where roughly 37% of households live below the poverty line and the median household income is about $32,393. Only 6.5% of homes are owner-occupied and just 14.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. About 14.1% of households have children, which means the families who are here tend to be concentrated and connected rather than scattered. This is a working-class, rent-heavy neighborhood where schools like P.S. 109 serve as genuine community anchors.

The nearest subway is the 176 St station on the 4 train, about a 9-minute walk. Mt Eden Av, also on the 4, is roughly 12 minutes on foot, and the B and D lines are accessible at 174-175 Sts in about 13 minutes. There's no stop at the door, so most families plan around a bus, a longer walk, or a car commute.