P.S. 130 Abram Stevens Hewitt

ELA proficiency of 44.1% sits a couple of points below the District 8 average of 46.2%, and math is similar at 44.1% versus 47.98%. But the headline number hides the more interesting story: P.S. 130 has roughly quadrupled its ELA proficiency since 2016 (10.9% to 44.1%) and grown math from 18.2% to a peak of 54.7% in 2024 before settling at 44.1% this year. The overall quality review score of 1.76/4 is slightly below the district average of 1.88. By grade, results are uneven: fourth graders post strong numbers (47.7% ELA, 65.9% math), fifth graders hold their own in ELA (51%) but tumble in math to 20.4% — a sharp drop that parents of incoming fifth graders should ask about.

The day-to-day climate at P.S. 130 reads unusually warm for a high-poverty school. Parents give 96% satisfaction (above the district 93%), with parent-teacher trust at 99% and parent-principal trust at 97%. Teachers report 92% on instruction quality (well above the 88% district average) and 97% on teacher-principal trust, suggesting leadership has built a coherent staff culture. The one clear soft spot is teacher-reported safety at 84%, below the district's 89%. Discipline is essentially a non-issue: zero suspensions in 2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24, which is striking against a district average suspension rate of 0.6%. Attendance is 90.2%, slightly above the district's 89.4%, though chronic absenteeism at 58.9% means more than half of students miss 10% or more of school days — a real concern that runs counter to the otherwise strong engagement signals.

The student body is 81% Hispanic and 18% Black, with just 1% White and negligible Asian enrollment — a diversity index of 30% that reflects how concentrated the school is demographically. About 92% of students qualify for the economic need index, 20% have IEPs, and the school enrolls 310 students across its zoned catchment. The family survey drew 183 responses, a strong 66% response rate, suggesting active parent engagement. Yet PTA fundraising totalled only $920 ($3 per student) versus a district average of $16.64 per student — a mismatch between high parent satisfaction and low dollars raised that may say more about household income than community engagement.

Longwood is a working-class Bronx neighborhood where the median household income is $36,558 and about a third of residents live below the poverty line. Just 14.3% of households have children, and only 15.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, so the families sending kids here are a motivated minority of the surrounding blocks. Homeownership is low (12.7%), meaning most neighbors rent. The school serves a community that is largely Latino and where financial pressure is part of daily life.

Prospect Avenue (2 and 5 trains) is about a three-minute walk — the closest and most convenient option. The 6 train is also reachable on foot via Longwood Avenue (about seven minutes) or East 149th Street (about nine minutes).