P.S. 164 Caesar Rodney

Both ELA and math proficiency have climbed dramatically since 2016, when fewer than half of students met standards in either subject. The 2025 jump is striking: ELA rose to 70.2% (from 52.3% the year prior) and math to 79.2% (from 68.8%). Math now sits about eight percentage points above the District 20 average of 71.2%, and ELA edges past the district's 66.2%. Strongholds are visible across grades 3 through 5, with fifth-graders leading at 81.3% math proficiency. The trajectory, especially the recent acceleration, is the most encouraging story in this school's data.

Every survey dimension tells a positive story: 100% of teachers report strong relationships and a safe environment, 96% rate instruction quality highly, and parents return the favor with 94% satisfaction and 97% trust in the principal. Discipline has stayed remarkably quiet — only one suspension in three years, all but invisible compared to the district average. The chronic absenteeism rate of 82.7% is the one real flag here, very high even by city standards, though it sits alongside a respectable 94.1% daily attendance rate. Families should ask the school directly how it supports consistent attendance before assuming the numbers tell the whole story.

The student body is roughly split between Asian (42%) and Hispanic (44%) students, with a smaller White contingent (12%) and very few Black students. This closely mirrors the surrounding neighborhood, which has long been a destination for immigrant and working-class families. Economic need is high — the index of 86.7% signals that most students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch — and 23% of students have IEPs, well above typical citywide rates. The school's demographics reflect a community that is ethnically concentrated but economically diverse rather than affluent.

Borough Park is one of Brooklyn's most family-saturated neighborhoods, with nearly half of households including children. Median household income sits around $52,500 and the poverty rate is roughly a third of residents, while homeownership is low — the median home value of about $1.16 million reflects tight, multi-generational housing arrangements more than widespread wealth. The BA+ education rate of 20.5% suggests many adult residents came to the U.S. as adults or work in trades and small business. It is, in short, a working-class, immigrant-rooted, family-first enclave.

The school is a roughly 9-minute walk from the Ditmas Av F train, a 10-minute walk from the 50 St D train, or about a 12-minute walk from the Church Av F and G — manageable on foot but not right at a stop.