P.S. 202 Ernest S. Jenkyns

Proficiency is well below District 19 averages — 22.7% in ELA and 22.3% in math versus district figures of roughly 49% and 48% — and the overall quality score of 0.9 out of 4 trails the district's 1.9 mark. The history here actually shows real progress for several years: scores climbed from roughly 10% on both subjects in 2016 to a 2023 peak of 47% in ELA and 35% in math, before falling sharply in 2024 and again in 2025. That recent slide is the headline — the school was genuinely catching up not long ago, and understanding what shifted is the central question for any prospective family. By grade, results are weakest in third grade (around 18% in both subjects) and slightly stronger in fourth and fifth.

The adult-to-adult relationships at P.S. 202 look genuinely strong: every surveyed teacher reports trust in the principal and in colleagues, and parent-principal trust clocks in at 98%. Parents give the school 96% satisfaction and 100% of teachers say relationships with families are strong — well above the district averages of 91% parent satisfaction and 88% teacher-reported relationship quality. The worry is attendance: the 85.5% rate trails the district average of nearly 90%, and chronic absenteeism sits at 40%, affecting boys more than girls. Discipline is a clear bright spot — zero suspensions in 2023-24, down from four two years prior. Teacher-reported safety at 88% is decent but a few points below the district's 92%, worth a direct question on a visit.

Six in ten students are Black and another third are Hispanic, with the remaining students spread across a handful of other groups, including a small Asian population. The student body reflects East New York-New Lots' demographics closely, and the school's economic need index of nearly 90% — meaning most students are considered poor enough to qualify for additional support — mirrors a neighborhood where median household income sits around $58,000. About one in five students has an Individualized Education Program, a higher share than many Brooklyn elementary schools.

East New York-New Lots is a working-class residential pocket of eastern Brooklyn where most households rent, only about three in ten residents own their homes, and roughly one in four neighbors lives below the poverty line. The neighborhood skews toward families with school-age kids (10.6% of households have children), and the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is just 16%. Median household income lands around $58,000, well below Brooklyn's broader average, even as the median home value is listed above $600,000 — a useful reminder that housing costs in this corner of Brooklyn can still be a stretch for local families.

The school isn't right on top of a subway, but three stations are within reasonable walking distance: the 3 at New Lots Avenue (about 9 minutes), the C at Shepherd Avenue (about 13 minutes), and the A and C at Euclid Avenue (about 14 minutes). Most families in this neighborhood rely on a mix of walking, school bus, and the subway.