P.S. 273 Wortman

At 36.4%, ELA proficiency remains well below the district average of about 49%, and math at 28.6% trails the district's 48%. But the trajectory matters as much as the current number — ELA more than doubled from a low of 17.8% in 2022, and math climbed out of the mid-teens into the high 20s and low 30s over the same window. Grade 5 ELA is a relative bright spot at 44.1%, while grade 3 math leads the math scores at 34.3%. The school's overall quality rating of 1.3 out of 4 still places it below the district average of 1.94, so the gains are real but unfinished work.

The day-to-day feel here is warmer than the test scores suggest. Teachers rate instructional quality at 97% and feel safe at a 98% rate — both well above district averages — and teacher collegial trust sits at 95%, suggesting a staff that works well together. Families report strong relationships with teachers (93%) and high trust in both teachers and the principal (94%), and only two suspensions last year indicates a calm environment. The big caveat is attendance: at 88.5% the rate is slightly below the district's 89.9%, and chronic absenteeism hits 52% of students — meaning roughly half the kids are missing too many days. The adults seem aligned; the daily attendance habit is the school's biggest culture challenge.

With 310 students, P.S. 273 is on the smaller side and the population closely mirrors the surrounding East New York community: 68% Black, 29% Hispanic, and a small mix of Asian and white students. The economic need index of 85.6 signals significant household poverty, and 23% of students have IEPs, a meaningfully higher share than the citywide norm. Despite those headwinds, parent survey response was strong at 64%, suggesting families are engaged and willing to weigh in on school life.

The school sits in East New York-New Lots, where median household income is around $58,000 and the poverty rate is 22.6%. Only about 11% of neighborhood households include children, and just 16% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Homeownership is low at 29%, but the median home value of roughly $606,000 reflects the wider Brooklyn market pressure that has pushed into this part of the borough. It is a working-class, increasingly transit-accessible corner of Brooklyn where many families rent.

Most families arrive on foot or by bus; the nearest subway is the 3 train at New Lots Av, about a 12-minute walk, with Van Siclen Av on the same line about 15 minutes away.