P.S. 126 Jacob August Riis

P.S. 126 outperforms District 2 in math (79.3% vs. 72.5%) and sits nearly even with ELA (72.7% vs. 73.2%). The school's eight-year trend shows steady, meaningful growth — ELA climbed from 56% in 2016 to 72.7% in 2025, and math rose from 67% to 79%. Grade-level data reveals strength in younger grades (Grade 3 math at 94%, Grade 8 math at 85%) with some middle-school variation. Overall, this is a school that's been climbing and holds its own against some of Manhattan's most competitive peers.

The survey data tells a two-sided story. Parents are overwhelmingly positive — 94% satisfied, 98% trust teachers, 99% trust the principal. These are exceptional numbers. But teachers tell a different tale: only 71% report feeling safe (compared to a 95% district average), and just 73% rate instruction quality highly. The school suspended 8 students last year (1%), up from 1 in 2021-22 — a trend worth watching. Attendance is a real concern: 93.3% daily attendance sounds fine, but the 78.6% chronic absenteeism rate is striking, particularly given the neighborhood's high poverty (77% economic need index). Day-to-day, this feels like a school where families trust leadership deeply, but where teachers are navigating something harder.

With 61% Asian students, P.S. 126 reflects the neighborhood's demographics — the surrounding Chinatown-Two Bridges area is predominantly working-class Chinese immigrant families with a 33% poverty rate and median household income of just $35,443. The school also serves 20% Hispanic and 10% Black students, with a diversity index of 63%. Twenty-one percent of students have IEPs. The community is highly transient (only 10% homeownership) and family-dense, with just 7.8% of households having children — meaning this school serves as a neighborhood anchor for those families who are here.

Chinatown-Two Bridges is a bustling, densely packed neighborhood with excellent transit (87.74 score) and strong education orientation (86.21), but it faces real challenges: a safety score of just 22.22, high crime density, and concerning environmental health indicators (elevated lead rates, high asthma emergency department visits). There's a stark contrast between the neighborhood's stability score (78%) and its health environment (8.81). For families, the trade-off is clear: easy commutes via subway, lots of family-oriented infrastructure, but you navigating urban stressors that come with poverty and density.

The neighborhood is extremely walkable and transit-connected — the transit score of 87.74 reflects easy subway access. Many families walk to school, and the area's density means distances are short. That said, parents should factor in the neighborhood's safety perceptions when considering commutes.