P.S. 196

Proficiency rates of 33.4% in ELA and 30.5% in math are well below the district averages of roughly 45% and 43%, respectively. The picture improves considerably when you look at the trend: ELA proficiency has climbed from 16.6% in 2016 to 33.4% in 2025, and math has nearly doubled from 19.6% to 30.5%. That kind of trajectory matters — students here are catching up, not falling further behind. By grade 5, ELA proficiency reaches 41.4%, suggesting the school does build skills over time, even if younger grades haven't yet closed the gap.

The day-to-day feel is warm and relational, with strong family-teacher bonds (90% parent-teacher trust, 93% report strong relationships) and high marks for instruction quality (92%, above the district average of 88%). Teacher confidence in school leadership is a notable weak spot at 63%, which is well below district norms and worth asking administrators about directly. Attendance is right at the district average, but chronic absenteeism is high at 66.3% — meaning two-thirds of students miss 10% or more of school days, which can blunt academic gains. Discipline is essentially a non-issue: zero suspensions over three consecutive years is a strong signal that the school handles behavior through classroom management rather than removals.

The student body is 79% Hispanic, 14% Black, with smaller shares of Asian and Native American students — a relatively homogeneous community that mirrors the surrounding neighborhood. With an economic need index of 92.3, nearly all students come from low-income households, and 19% receive special education services. PTA fundraising sits at just $13 per student versus a district average of $53, which means enrichment programs rely heavily on school budgets rather than parent contributions.

Soundview-Bruckner-Bronx River is a working-class neighborhood where median household income is around $41,000 and about a third of residents live below the poverty line. Only 16% of households include children, which is lower than many parts of the city, and just 15% of adults hold a bachelor's degree. Homeownership is low (13%), so most families rent, and the housing stock tends toward multi-family buildings.

Families have three nearby 6 train options: Elder Av and Morrison Av-Soundview are each about a four-minute walk, with St Lawrence Av roughly eleven minutes on foot. The location is genuinely convenient for 6-line commuters.