P.S. 213 New Lots

The 2025 numbers represent a remarkable turnaround. ELA proficiency at 32.4% is below the district 19 average of roughly 49%, but it's more than doubled from 16.9% the year before. Math is the headline: 54.8% proficiency runs about 7 points above the district average and is more than double the 25% posted in 2024. The historical record is volatile — ELA swung from 25.5% in 2017 to 3% in 2022 before this year's climb — so it's worth treating any single year cautiously. By grade, 4th graders lead in math at 65.4%, while 5th-grade math dipped to 40%, suggesting a possible dip in instruction or cohort effects at the upper grade. Overall school score of 1.74 out of 4 sits a notch below the district average of 1.94.

The day-to-day feel here looks like a community where families and staff genuinely like each other, but where getting kids through the door every day is a struggle. Parent satisfaction sits at 91% (in line with the district), parent-teacher trust is 96%, and 94% of families report strong relationships with teachers — high marks that suggest real connection. Teachers rate instructional quality at 93%, above the district average of about 88%, though teacher-principal trust at 80% and teacher-reported safety at 77% (well below the district's 92%) hint at some friction. Discipline has improved sharply: zero suspensions in 2023-24, down from 13 the prior year. The elephant in the room is chronic absenteeism at 48.4% — nearly half of students are missing enough school to be flagged — and the overall attendance rate of 87.8% trails the district's 89.9%.

The student body is 70% Black, 17% Hispanic, 8% Asian, 3% White, and 2% Native American, with a diversity index of 54% and an economic need index of 88.9% — one of the higher need indices in the city, meaning most students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. 17% of students have IEPs. Class size averages 21.8, matching the district. PTA fundraising at $43 per student is more than double the district average of about $19, an unusual bright spot for a high-poverty zoned school.

P.S. 213 sits in East New York-New Lots, a working-class Brooklyn neighborhood where median household income is around $58,087 and the poverty rate is 22.6%. About 10.6% of households include children, and 16% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher — lower than the citywide rate. Homeownership is 29.3%, with a median home value of about $605,545, reflecting modest housing stock in a market that has shifted considerably in recent years. The neighborhood is predominantly Black and Hispanic, and many families have deep roots here.

Three 3 train stops serve the school — Van Siclen Avenue about an 8-minute walk, Pennsylvania Avenue about 9 minutes, and New Lots Avenue about 11 minutes — making subway commuting workable for families across a fairly wide stretch of East New York.