P.S. 146 Ann M. Short

At 27% ELA proficiency and 35% math proficiency, P.S. 146 sits well below the District 4 averages of roughly 50% and 45% respectively — a difference that reflects both the school's high-needs population and where it currently stands academically. The long-term trend, however, is encouraging: math proficiency has more than doubled since 2016, and fifth graders posted a strong 51% math proficiency rate, suggesting real learning gains compound as students move through the school. ELA has been more volatile, with a dip in 2022 followed by recovery, but the overall direction is upward rather than flat.

Daily attendance at 89% is slightly above the district average, but the chronic absenteeism rate of 52% is a real concern — half the students miss enough school to be flagged. Where P.S. 146 truly stands out is the trust layer: 100% of surveyed parents report satisfaction and trust with both teachers and the principal, and 98% rate instruction quality highly, both meaningfully above district norms. Teacher-reported safety sits at 93% and there have been zero suspensions for three consecutive years — a remarkably calm environment that teachers confirm. The 96% family survey response rate is itself a signal: parents here are engaged, present, and willing to be heard.

P.S. 146's 324 students are 60% Hispanic and 29% Black, with small Asian, white, and multiracial populations — a composition that closely mirrors the surrounding East Harlem census. Nearly all students qualify for economic need (93%), and 39% have IEPs, one of the higher special-education rates in the district. This is a school that serves a predominantly working-class, immigrant-rooted community, and the demographics inside the building and outside on the blocks around it line up closely. The 58% diversity index reflects two large majority groups rather than broad cross-group mixing.

East Harlem (South) is a densely settled, predominantly renter neighborhood with a median household income around $44,000 and a poverty rate near 30% — the kind of place where many families are stretching to stay. About 9% of households have children, a relatively low share for a residential New York neighborhood, and just under 8% of homes are owner-occupied. Nearly 38% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, a number that has been climbing as the area changes. The neighborhood is firmly working-class and tightly knit, with deep cultural roots.

Three 6 train stations serve the school: 110 St and 103 St are each about a 10-minute walk, and 116 St is roughly 13 minutes away.