P.S. 216 Arturo Toscanini

Math proficiency has nearly doubled since 2016, climbing from 37.8% to 73.5%, while ELA spent years hovering in the low 50s before jumping to 65.4% this year. Both subjects now sit well above district averages of 60% ELA and 63.2% math, and the 2025 results represent the school's strongest showing in nearly a decade. Scores are consistent across grades 3, 4, and 5, suggesting the gains are systemic rather than concentrated in a single cohort. The trajectory from a pandemic-era dip in 2022 (43.9% ELA) to current levels is one of the more pronounced recoveries in the district.

The survey numbers at P.S. 216 are striking: 100% of teachers report strong relationships, 99% feel safe, 97% rate instruction quality highly, and parent-principal trust reaches 98%. There have been zero suspensions for two consecutive years, a notably calm disciplinary climate. But chronic absenteeism at 69.7% is severe and cuts across every demographic subgroup, which sits in real tension with the otherwise rosy picture from the surveys. The attendance rate of 91.9% is slightly above district average, but the chronic absenteeism figure tells you that for many families, daily attendance is a real struggle. Day-to-day, this is a school where adults clearly trust each other and feel safe — but where a large share of students simply aren't in the building often enough.

The student body is 43% White, 29% Asian, 21% Hispanic, and 4% Black, with a diversity index of 71% and an economic need index of 69.7% — meaning most students come from low-income households. The surrounding neighborhood reflects a similar mix, with a 20.7% poverty rate, median household income around $58,000, and just 35% of adults holding a bachelor's degree. Only 37% of homes are owner-occupied, pointing to a renter-heavy block-by-block mix that includes both longtime Gravesend families and newer arrivals. Eighteen percent of students have IEPs, in line with the district average.

Gravesend (south) is a Brooklyn neighborhood with a working- and middle-class character, where just over a fifth of households live below the poverty line and the median household income sits near $58,000. Kids are present in about 18% of households, and the area has a renter-heavy housing stock with a 37% homeownership rate and median home values around $630,000 — stable but not gentrified. The neighborhood's adults are roughly a third college-educated, suggesting a mix of long-established families and more recent arrivals.

The F train at Avenue X is about a 5-minute walk from the school, with the F at Avenue U and the N at 86th Street each roughly 10 minutes away — three lines within easy reach for commuting families.