At a Glance
A community-rooted Crown Heights zoned school that's quietly tripled its test scores over the past decade
Best suited for
Zoned families who want a small, community-rooted elementary with strong family-school relationships and a proven track record of academic growth — and who can stay engaged enough to keep their kids coming every day.
Overall Rating
Rating = average of NY State ELA + math proficiency, grades 3–8
Bands are Motley's thresholds on a 0–100 scale, not New York State performance levels.
How this is scored→What stands out
- ELA proficiency has nearly tripled since 2016 (27% → 64%), one of the more dramatic gains in the district.
- Parent-principal trust at 99% and parent-teacher trust at 98% — exceptionally high family engagement.
- Zero suspensions for three consecutive years, far below the district average of about 0.55%.
- Teacher-reported safety is 100%, a perfect score.
- Grade 3 math proficiency at 88%, well above city norms for that age.
- 35% of students have IEPs, signaling a strong inclusion model for a zoned school.
Things to consider
- Chronic absenteeism at 49.6% is a significant headwind against the academic gains — roughly half of students are missing too much school.
- Average daily attendance (87.5%) sits below the district average of 91%.
- Grade 5 math proficiency dips to 47% — kids may need extra support as they move up the grades.
- PTA fundraising is essentially zero, so enrichment programs likely depend on outside grants rather than parent dollars.
- The school is small (274 students), which means tighter relationships but also fewer peer cohorts and elective options.
Based on 2024-25 data
School SummaryDistrict 17
Within District 17, P.S. 289 sits comfortably above the district average on academics, parent satisfaction, and safety, though it's outscored by the Success Academy charters and P.S. 249 The Caton. Among zoned public schools in the district, it's a clear bright spot.
Academics
Test scores here tell one of the more striking turnaround stories in District 17. In 2016, only about a quarter of students were proficient in ELA and math; by 2025, those numbers are 64% and 69% respectively — both meaningfully above district averages of about 60.5% and 57.3%. The pandemic clearly hit hard in 2022 (math dropped to 19%), but the rebound has been strong, with 2025 representing all-time highs. Grade 3 stands out as a particular strength (73% ELA, 88% math), while Grade 5 math (47%) is the weaker spot in an otherwise solid picture.
Culture
The day-to-day experience here is unusually warm by the numbers — teacher-reported safety is 100%, parent-principal trust is 99%, and there were zero suspensions in 2023-24 (the third straight year with none). Parents clearly feel heard. The wrinkle is attendance: at 87.5%, it sits below the district average of 91%, and chronic absenteeism is at 49.6%, meaning nearly half of students missed 10% or more of school days. That's a real headwind against the academic gains and worth asking the school how they're tackling it.
Community
The student body is 66% Black and 20% Hispanic, reflecting Crown Heights North's deep-rooted Caribbean and African-American community, with smaller shares of Asian, white, multi-racial, and Native American students. The economic need index of 88.7 indicates most families qualify for free or reduced lunch, and 35% of students have IEPs — meaningfully higher than the citywide average, pointing to a school that serves a relatively high-needs population. The neighborhood around the school has a 20% poverty rate and most households rent rather than own.
Neighborhood
Crown Heights North is a working- and middle-class Brooklyn neighborhood where homeownership is rare (just 16%) and the population skews toward renters. Median household income sits around $73,859, and 42% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, suggesting a community with both economic pressure and educational ambition. The school draws from families in its zoned catchment, and the area is well-connected by subway.
The school is about a 7-minute walk from the Kingston Av 3 train, with the Kingston-Throop Avs C train about 9 minutes away and the Nostrand Av 3 train roughly 11 minutes on foot.
Academic Performance
ELA Proficiency
Students scoring proficient or above on the NY State ELA exam.
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Math Proficiency
Students scoring proficient or above on the NY State Math exam.
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Historical Trends
The dashed line marks 2023, when New York changed its grades 3–8 state tests. Scores before and after it aren’t directly comparable.
2020–2021 data unavailable due to COVID-19
Source: NYC DOE School Quality Reports
Survey Results
NYC School Survey (2025) · 67 families responded (24% rate)
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
PTA Fundraising
Source: DOE Local Law 171 disclosure
Discipline
NYSED Student & Educator Database (2023-24)
Economic Need & Special Populations
How to get in, step by step
Pre-K
P.S. 289 George V. Brower also has Pre-K classes. They're a separate application from kindergarten, made on MySchools.
Pre-K application
Applications typically open in the winter and close in the spring, with offers in late spring; the city announces exact dates each year.
Kindergarten
P.S. 289 George V. Brower has an attendance zone. At elementary level, in-zone students get a guaranteed seat. Every family still applies on MySchools: the application confirms the zoned seat, and ranking other schools doesn't cost you it.
Kindergarten application
- Opens
- Wed, Dec 9
- Closes
- Fri, Jan 22
- Offers
- Tue, Mar 30
The DOE’s published dates.
- 1Check that your address is inside the zone — zones change, so confirm it before you sign a lease.
- 2Apply during the kindergarten application, even with a zoned seat.
- 3Rank this school along with any others you'd take, in true preference order.
Open houses and tours
We haven’t seen open-house dates for this school yet.
From the MySchools admissions calendar, checked weekly.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is P.S. 289 George V. Brower a good school?
- On Motley, P.S. 289 George V. Brower earns an overall rating of 67/100 — the average of the school's New York State ELA and math proficiency, grades 3–8, shown out of 100. Its state test results run above the District 17 average.
- What grades does P.S. 289 George V. Brower serve?
- P.S. 289 George V. Brower serves grades Pre-K to 5.
- How do students get into P.S. 289 George V. Brower?
- P.S. 289 George V. Brower admits by zone — children who live in its attendance zone get a guaranteed seat.
- Is P.S. 289 George V. Brower public, charter, or private?
- P.S. 289 George V. Brower is a public school in NYC Community School District 17.
- What neighborhood is P.S. 289 George V. Brower in?
- P.S. 289 George V. Brower is in Crown Heights (North), Brooklyn.