P.S. 246 Poe Center

Test scores sit below district averages (39.7% ELA vs. 45% district; 39% math vs. 43.5% district), but the trajectory is the story. Proficiency has roughly tripled since 2016, with math in particular jumping to 35% in 2024 and 39% in 2025. Third-graders are pulling ahead of the upper grades (53.6% ELA, 45.8% math), suggesting the school is building momentum that the older cohorts haven't fully benefited from yet. The overall quality score of 1.57/4 is below the district average of 1.77, but it's clearly trending the right direction.

The parent side of the climate is genuinely strong: 97% of families are satisfied (vs. 94% district), and trust between parents and both teachers and the principal sits at 99%. Teachers rate instructional quality at 90% — essentially matching the district — but only 52% report feeling safe, well below the district's 87%. Teacher-principal trust is 71%, lower than the parent trust numbers. Attendance is 89.4%, just under the district's 90.8%, and chronic absenteeism is high at 52.5% — meaning a majority of students miss 10% or more of the school year. Discipline is a bright spot: just two suspensions last year, none in the prior two years.

P.S. 246 reflects its neighborhood: 83% of students are Hispanic, 9% Black, 4% White, and 3% Asian, with a diversity index of 35% indicating most students share a similar background. The economic need index of 92.8% places it among the highest-need schools in the city, and 24% of students have IEPs. Family survey response was solid at 28% with 126 responses, giving a clear picture of how families feel. This is a school whose community is defined by working-class Bronx families, many Spanish-speaking, who show up in strong numbers when surveyed.

University Heights and Fordham is a densely residential, working-class stretch of the central Bronx where most households rent, median income sits just above $42,000, and only about 14% of adults have a bachelor's degree. Roughly 16% of households have children, and homeownership is rare at under 9%. It's a transit-dependent neighborhood — most families rely on the subway rather than cars to get around.

Very accessible by transit. The Kingsbridge Road B/D stop is about a three-minute walk and the 4 train stop is about four minutes away; the Fordham Road B/D stop is roughly seven minutes on foot.