P.S. 304 Early Childhood School

Proficiency rates here handily beat District 8 averages (46% ELA, 48% math) — students at P.S. 304 are nearly 25 points ahead of the typical district peer in both subjects. The trajectory tells the real story: after a pandemic-era dip to 52% ELA and 47% math in 2022, scores have climbed for three straight years, with 2025 marking the highest marks in the dataset. Fourth graders are the academic engine, hitting 74.7% ELA and 77.8% math proficiency, while the 3rd and 5th grades hold their own in the mid-60s to mid-70s.

The day-to-day feel here is unusually warm. Parents give the school a 96% satisfaction rating (above the district's 93%), and trust scores are striking — 99% of parents trust teachers, 98% trust the principal, and 100% report strong adult-to-student relationships. Teachers echo that trust (97% trust the principal, 98% rate instruction highly, 100% feel safe). Zero suspensions across the last three years signals a restorative, not punitive, approach. The one real concern is chronic absenteeism at 61.9%, which is high even for a post-pandemic New York and means many kids are missing enough school to fall behind.

Most students here are Hispanic (73%), with Black, White, and Asian children each making up roughly 6–10% of the school — a moderately diverse mix reflected in the 52% diversity index. The community skews working- and middle-class, with an Economic Need Index of 54 (right at the city midpoint). About 20% of students have IEPs, which is on the higher side. The PTA is unusually active for a Title I-area school, raising about $51 per student — three times the district average — and parent survey response is essentially 100%, which is rare and points to engaged families.

Throgs Neck-Schuylerville sits in the outer Bronx, with a median household income around $85,000 and a 15% poverty rate — more comfortable than many Bronx neighborhoods. Nearly half of residents own their homes, and about 18% of households have children under 18, giving the area a settled, family-oriented feel. Just over a quarter of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is roughly on par with the borough as a whole.

There are no subway stations within a 20-minute walk of the school, so families mostly get here by car, school bus, or local bus — this is a car-dependent commute for anyone outside the immediate zoned area.