P.S. 277

P.S. 277's 2025 proficiency rates (66% ELA, 62% math) sit comfortably above the district 7 averages of roughly 51% ELA and 49% math, and the overall quality score of 2.56/4 outpaces the district's 2.01. The trajectory is the more striking story: ELA proficiency fell to just 19.6% in 2022 before climbing steadily to 40.5% in 2024 and then jumping to 66% in 2025. Math followed the same arc, more than doubling from 22.5% to 62% in three years. Grade-level results are uneven though — Grade 5 posts the strongest scores (88% ELA, 83% math) and Grade 3 is solid (74% ELA, 71% math), but Grade 4 lags noticeably at 43% ELA and 37% math. Worth asking what's happening in that Grade 4 cohort.

The school runs a calm, trust-heavy environment. Zero suspensions over three straight years is unusual and speaks to how behavior is managed. Parent-principal trust (97%) and parent-teacher trust (95%) are very high, and most parents (91%) say they're satisfied, though that's a hair below the district average of 94%. Teachers report strong collegial trust (90%) but rate safety at just 70% — meaningfully below the district's 80.5% — which suggests staff see the building environment as a pressure point even though families feel comfortable. The 65% chronic absenteeism rate is the single biggest red flag: it's well above typical levels and signals that getting kids to school consistently is a real struggle here, even though daily attendance averages a respectable 90.6%.

P.S. 277's student body mirrors its neighborhood closely. About 69% of students are Hispanic and 26% are Black, with small percentages of Asian, White, and Native American students. The diversity index sits at 44%, reflecting the relative concentration rather than true variety. The economic need index of 93% means almost every student qualifies as low-income, consistent with a Mott Haven-Port Morris census tract where the median household income is under $30,000 and the poverty rate tops 40%. PTA fundraising averages $42 per student — over four times the district average — which suggests families who can, dig in even when resources are tight.

The school sits in Mott Haven-Port Morris, one of the South Bronx's most economically pressed neighborhoods. Median household income here is around $29,000, four in ten residents live below the poverty line, and just 6% of households own their homes. Only about 12% of neighborhood adults hold a bachelor's degree, and roughly 12% of households include children — so families with school-age kids are a real minority here, and the ones who do show up are often doing so without a lot of financial cushion. The school is a small anchor for that population.

Most families arrive on foot or by bus. The 2 and 5 trains at 3 Av-149 St are about a 6-minute walk, the Jackson Av stop on the same lines is roughly 8 minutes, and the 6 train at E 143 St-St Mary's St is about 10 minutes away.