P.S. 245

P.S. 245's ELA proficiency of 62.8% edges out the District 22 average of about 61%, while math proficiency at 52.3% trails the district average of roughly 60%. The ELA trajectory is the headline here: scores rose from 41% in 2016 to 63% in 2025, a remarkable 22-point gain over a decade, with the strongest results in fourth grade (72%). Math has been steadier and lower — bumping between 36% and 59% across years, landing in the low 50s recently. The overall DOE score of 2.3 out of 4 sits just below the district average of 2.43, signaling a school that is solid but not standout on the composite measure.

The survey numbers here are eye-popping: parent-teacher trust at 99%, parent-principal trust at 98%, and teacher-reported safety at 98% — all above district averages. Parent satisfaction of 94% and a 99% family survey response rate suggest families feel genuinely heard. Discipline is essentially a non-issue, with zero suspensions across three consecutive years. But the 92% attendance rate masks a serious chronic absenteeism figure of 71.7%, meaning roughly seven in ten students miss 18 or more days a year — a concern that sits oddly against the otherwise strong climate picture.

P.S. 245's student body is about half Black and 43% Hispanic, with small Asian and White populations and a 25% IEP share that reflects a meaningfully inclusive setting. The economic need index of 78.3 signals a high-poverty population — most students likely come from lower-income households — though the surrounding neighborhood's median household income of about $79,000 tells a more middle-class story. Twenty-three students per class is slightly above the district average, and only $3,586 in total PTA fundraising last year (about $15 per student) is far below the district norm of $56 per student, pointing to a parent base that engages through presence and trust more than dollars.

Flatbush around the school is a renter-majority neighborhood where only about 13% of households own their homes, yet the median home value approaches $888,000, reflecting deep inequalities between owners and tenants. Roughly one in seven households live below the poverty line, and only about a third of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher — a working- and middle-class mix that includes many immigrant families. The 13.7% share of households with children means there are plenty of school-age neighbors, though many local kids attend other zoned or charter options in the area.

Three Q-line stops put this school within easy reach: Beverley Rd is about a 3-minute walk, Cortelyou Rd about 6 minutes, and Church Av (B and Q lines) about 8 minutes.