P.S. 274 Kosciusko

Proficiency rates here sit meaningfully below District 32 averages — ELA at 35.4% versus the district's roughly 46%, and math at 30.9% versus about 43%. The overall quality score of 1.33 out of 4 lands below the district average of 1.78. That said, the trajectory is moving in the right direction: ELA has climbed from 22% in 2023 to 35.4% in 2025, and math rebounded sharply from a pandemic-era low of 8.9% in 2022 to 30.9% this year. Performance varies notably by grade — fifth-graders post the strongest ELA scores (44.3%), while third-grade ELA (23.1%) and fifth-grade math (22.2%) are the weakest spots. The school is gaining ground, but it's still catching up rather than leading.

The climate at P.S. 274 is genuinely warm by every survey measure available. Parent satisfaction hits 99% (well above the district average of 93%), parent-teacher and parent-principal trust both land at 100%, and teachers rate instructional quality at 92% versus a district average of 86%. Teacher-reported safety is 100%, and the school recorded zero suspensions across three consecutive years — a striking contrast to the district average suspension rate of about 1.2%. The one real flag is chronic absenteeism at 63.4%, which is high and affects girls (65%) more than boys (61.8%). Daily attendance at 90.4% is slightly below the district's 91.9%. Still, the overall feel is one of a stable, respectful environment where adults trust each other.

The student body is overwhelmingly Hispanic (82%) with a smaller Black population (14%) and very few students from other racial backgrounds — a diversity index of just 36% reflects this concentration. The school's economic need index of 89.7% places it among the higher-need schools in the city, and 16% of students have IEPs. The community closely mirrors the surrounding neighborhood, where about 44% of adults hold a bachelor's degree and median household income is $86,760. This is a working-class, predominantly Latino neighborhood, and P.S. 274 feels like its institutional anchor for elementary-age families.

Bushwick is a densely populated, renter-dominated Brooklyn neighborhood where homeownership sits at just 11.1% and about a fifth of residents live below the poverty line. Median household income of $86,760 supports a mixed working-and-middle-class community, and 44.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree. With only 10.9% of households including children, families with young kids are a minority here, which can mean stiffer competition for the limited number of zoned school seats. The area has shifted considerably over the past decade, and the school reflects a community navigating that change.

The school is extremely well-connected by subway — the J train at Kosciuszko Street is about a two-minute walk, the M at Central Avenue about six minutes, and the J and Z at Gates Avenue around nine minutes. Most families in this part of Brooklyn won't need a car.