P.S. 165 Ida Posner

The test score trajectory here is one of the more dramatic in District 23. ELA proficiency has climbed from 11.7% in 2016 to 66% in 2025, and math from 7.4% to 76.9% — both now well above district averages of roughly 52% and 51%. The 2025 jump is particularly sharp, suggesting something meaningful shifted in instruction or cohort performance. Third graders are leading the way (83% ELA, 90% math), while fourth-grade scores step down noticeably (52% ELA, 71% math) — a transition worth asking about if your child is approaching that grade.

This is a school where teachers trust their principal at 100% and rate their own instruction quality at 98% — both well above the district norm. Parent trust in the principal runs at 95%, and 88% of families say there are strong relationships between parents and teachers. Zero suspensions across three consecutive years is striking and points to a real investment in keeping kids in classrooms rather than removing them. The one thing parents should ask about is chronic absenteeism: at nearly 50%, almost half the students are missing enough school to be flagged, even though daily attendance (87.4%) hovers close to the district average.

The student body is 83% Black and 14% Hispanic, mirroring Brownsville's demographics. With a diversity index of just 33%, this is one of the more homogeneous schools in the borough. The economic need index of 89.7% means almost every family here qualifies for free lunch — a marker of the neighborhood's 37.6% poverty rate. Nineteen percent of students have IEPs, and the school serves a self-contained special education class alongside general education students from pre-K through fifth grade.

Brownsville is a low-income corner of eastern Brooklyn where median household income sits around $33,500 and nearly 38% of residents live below the poverty line. Homeownership is rare at 14%, and fewer than 8% of households include children — so the families raising kids here are a minority within their own neighborhood. The 3 train cuts through the area and makes getting into and out of Brownsville straightforward for families with older kids.

The 3 train stops at Rockaway Av about 8 minutes on foot, Saratoga Av about 9 minutes, and Junius St about 13 minutes.