P.S. 159 Luis Munoz Marin Biling

The 2025 scores tell a remarkable story: ELA proficiency jumped to 55.4% (up from 27.1% in 2024) and math to 39.7% (up from 31%). ELA is now meaningfully above the district average of 45%, while math remains below the district's 43.5%. The historical pattern is volatile — ELA has swung from a high of 55.7% in 2018 to a low of 27.1% in 2024 — so a single year's data should be read with some caution. The school also earns an overall score of 1.9 out of 4, slightly above the district average of 1.77, and Grade 3 students posted particularly strong ELA results at 72.7%, suggesting the early elementary years are where this school shines.

This is a school where families and teachers feel genuinely connected to one another. Parent satisfaction sits at 95%, parent-teacher trust at 98%, and teacher-reported instruction quality at 100% — all well above district averages. Teacher-reported safety is 94%, also strong. There have been zero suspensions over the past three years. The big asterisk is chronic absenteeism at 72.6%, which is extremely high and affects girls (81.3%) more than boys (63.4%). Attendance for the students who do show up is healthy at 91.8%, slightly above the district average, but the chronic absence rate suggests many families are struggling with attendance for reasons that go beyond the school walls.

The student body is 84% Hispanic and 14% Black, reflecting the surrounding Belmont neighborhood, which has a median household income of about $33,000 and a 37.7% poverty rate. The school serves a community where English-language learners and Spanish-speaking families are the norm, and the bilingual mission is a direct fit for the population. The economic need index of 93.7% confirms that nearly every student qualifies as high-need.

Belmont is a dense, working-class neighborhood in the central Bronx with a 37.7% poverty rate and a median household income of $32,956. Only 13.1% of adults have a bachelor's degree, and just 3.8% of households own their homes, reflecting the renter-heavy character of the area. The neighborhood has deep Latino roots, which aligns with the school's bilingual mission. Families here navigate a busy urban environment near Fordham Road, one of the Bronx's main commercial corridors.

The school is reachable from the Fordham Rd B/D station (about a 10-minute walk), the 182-183 Sts B/D station (about 9 minutes), and the Fordham Rd 4 station (about 13 minutes). Most families likely walk or take the subway.