P.S. 272 Curtis Estabrook

Test scores at P.S. 272 have improved dramatically over eight years — ELA climbed from 13.5% to 39.4% and math from 8.8% to 36.8% — yet both remain well below the District 18 averages of 58% and 61%. The school scores just 1.52 out of 4 on the city's overall quality metric, compared to the district's 2.39. Grade-level data shows Grade 5 performing strongest (ELA 47.5%, Math 46.3%), while Grade 4 lags notably behind (ELA 32.7%, Math 21.2%). This suggests older students may be benefiting more from recent academic interventions, or that curriculum changes are taking time to ripple through younger grades.

The climate data tells a complicated story. Families absolutely love this school — 96% parent satisfaction, 98% trust in teachers and the principal, and a perfect 100% reporting strong relationships. Teachers report 91% safety (below the 96% district average, but still solid) and 87% trust in leadership. However, chronic absenteeism sits at a troubling 52.9%, with female students (57.8%) and Black students (56.9%) missing school at the highest rates. Attendance itself is 87.6% versus a 90.5% district average. On the upside, discipline is exemplary: zero suspensions in the most recent year, continuing a three-year trend of near-zero exclusionary discipline. The day-to-day feel appears supportive and relational — teachers trust leadership, families feel heard — but getting kids to school consistently is a significant community challenge.

The student body is 73% Black, 14% Hispanic, 5% Native American, 5% White, and 3% Asian, with an 86% economic need index and 25% IEP students — a population that faces significant systemic barriers to achievement. The diversity index sits at 51%, reflecting a relatively homogeneous community in Brooklyn terms. Families here raised $26,575 through the PTA ($75 per student), slightly above the district average of $23, indicating engaged parent participation despite economic challenges.

Canarsie is a quiet, residential Brooklyn neighborhood defined by single-family homes and a 50.5% homeownership rate — unusually high for the city. Median household income is $82,184 with only 12.8% poverty, making this one of the more economically stable areas in District 18. The neighborhood scores 57 on safety (moderate) and 62 on education orientation, with decent transit access (66). However, family density is relatively low (56) and stability scores just 25, suggesting a neighborhood in transition or with fewer young children than average. There are parks and local commercial strips, but Canarsie isn't a hub of activity — it's a bedroom community.

Canarsie's residential streets are walkable and quiet. Many families likely walk or drive; the area isn't transit-heavy but has bus connections. The school sits in a settled residential zone where kids can safely walk to school.