P.S. 312 Bergen Beach

Math is the clear strength: 70.8% proficiency this year against a district average near 60%, and the trajectory has been genuinely upward — from 52.4% in 2016 to 70.8% in 2025, with a notable jump after 2022. ELA at 63.6% is also above the district average of 61%, but the path has been bumpier, dipping to 50.2% in 2024 before bouncing back this year. Third grade stands out, with 73% ELA and nearly 79% math proficiency, suggesting the foundation built in the early years is solid. The overall quality review score of 2.69/4 sits comfortably above the district's 2.43.

The climate here is unusually strong for a large public elementary. Every survey dimension is in the 90s or 100%: 100% of teachers report collegial trust and strong relationships with families, 99% rate instruction quality and safety positively, and zero suspensions have been issued for three straight years. That said, chronic absenteeism is high at 69.7% — nearly seven in ten students missed 10% or more of school days, which is worth understanding even if the school itself feels safe and orderly. The 91.6% daily attendance rate is right at the district average, so the chronic-absenteeism figure points to a smaller group of kids with irregular attendance rather than a school-wide attendance problem.

The student body is a roughly even mix of White (37%) and Black (36%) students, with Hispanic (17%) and Asian (7%) students making up meaningful shares — a diversity index of 75% that's noticeably higher than many southeast Brooklyn schools. About 21% of students have IEPs, and the economic need index of 46.6 puts the school in the middle of the city. The surrounding neighborhood skews toward two-parent, homeowner households with a median income over $108,000 and a poverty rate of just 7%, so the school draws from a relatively comfortable family base that nonetheless includes a real range of backgrounds.

The Marine Park-Mill Basin-Bergen Beach area is one of Brooklyn's most stable residential pockets: nearly 74% of households own their homes, median home values approach $790,000, and almost a quarter of households include children under 18. About 43% of neighborhood adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the low poverty rate (7%) and high homeownership together paint a picture of long-term, multigenerational residency. Families here tend to be plugged into local civic life — block associations, houses of worship, youth sports — which is the kind of community that tends to show up for a school.

This school is beyond walking distance of any subway line, so most families arrive by car, school bus, or on foot from nearby blocks.