P.S. 3 Raul Julia Micro Society

Test scores hover near district averages — ELA at 42.3% versus the District 10 average of 45%, and math at 42.8% versus 43.5% — meaning students here are performing roughly in line with similar schools. The school showed meaningful improvement from 2016 to 2019, nearly doubling math proficiency from 28% to 39%, but COVID hit hard and math dropped to 22% in 2022 before recovering to 43% today. The grade-level breakdown reveals a striking pattern: 7th and 8th graders perform strongly (58-67% proficiency), while 4th and 6th graders lag significantly (15-28%). This suggests the school may be building momentum in the upper grades but struggling to maintain it in the middle years.

The survey data tells a complicated story. Parents absolutely love this school — 99% satisfied, 100% trust in teachers and principal, and 100% report strong relationships. Teachers agree that safety is strong (94%, well above the district average of 87%). But there's tension in the adult workplace: teacher instruction quality scores 82% (below the 91% district average), collegial trust is only 73%, and the school saw its first suspension in three years last year. Meanwhile, chronic absenteeism at 59% is a serious concern — nearly 6 out of 10 students are missing too much school, which directly impacts learning. The day-to-day feel seems warm for families, but staff may be dealing with systemic challenges that don't show up in parent surveys.

This is a predominantly Hispanic school (70%) in a neighborhood that matches that profile, with 29% Black students and very few White or Asian students. Nearly all students (86%) come from economically disadvantaged households, and 27% have IEPs — a higher proportion than many nearby schools. With only 316 students across grades K-8, class sizes average 22.9 students, which matches the district average. The school offers ELL support but has limited enrichment programming (richness score of 35 out of 100).

Tremont is a working-class Bronx neighborhood with significant challenges. The median household income of $32,208 is well below city norms, and only 7.5% of residents own homes. Safety is a genuine concern — the neighborhood scores just 5 out of 100 on safety metrics, with high crime density and environmental health risks (elevated lead rates and asthma-related ER visits). Transit access is decent (60th percentile), but family density is high (81st percentile), meaning lots of kids in the area. Education orientation is low (35th percentile), suggesting this isn't a neighborhood where families are heavily focused on school choice or academic enrichment.

Walkability depends on where families are coming from within Tremont — the area is densely populated but safety concerns may lead many parents to accompany children to school. Public transit is accessible but not exceptional.