P.S. 328 Phyllis Wheatley

The numbers tell a remarkable story. ELA proficiency has climbed from 16.1% in 2016 to 64.7% in 2025, and math has gone from 12% to 72.6% — a nearly four-fold and six-fold jump respectively. Both subjects are well above district averages (48.9% ELA and 48.2% math), and the school's overall score of 2.75 out of 4 sits comfortably above the district average of 1.94. Growth has been steady rather than spiky: a jump from 27% to 64.7% in ELA over the past three years suggests something is working consistently, not a one-year fluke. Grade 5 leads the way (75% ELA, 81.5% math), grade 3 is close behind, and grade 4 trails a bit. The trajectory is the headline here — this is a school on a strong upward arc.

Parents give the school a 99% satisfaction rating, with parent-teacher trust, parent-principal trust, and strong family relationships all at 99% or 100%. These are extraordinary numbers, well above district averages and rare anywhere in the system. Teachers rate their trust in school leadership at 93% and report strong collegial trust at 86%, suggesting a staff that generally feels supported by administration. The 0% suspension rate across three consecutive years signals a calm, well-managed environment. Two things parents should weigh: teacher-reported safety is 86%, below the district's 92%, and chronic absenteeism runs at 66.8%, meaning more than two-thirds of students miss 10% or more of school days — a serious figure that likely reflects broader neighborhood pressures (housing instability, health, transit) more than anything happening inside the building.

P.S. 328 serves a student body that's 51% Black and 42% Hispanic, with smaller shares of White, Asian, Multi-Racial, and Native American students — closely mirroring East New York's neighborhood demographics. The economic need index of 94 (out of 100) places the school among the higher-need schools in the city, and 21% of students have IEPs. With 272 students across pre-K through 5th grade, this is an intentionally small community, and the parent engagement numbers suggest families here are unusually invested in their children's education despite navigating significant financial pressure.

East New York — specifically the northern pocket where the school sits — is a working-class Brooklyn neighborhood with a median household income around $57,841, a 25% poverty rate, and a homeownership rate near 30%. About 17% of households include children, and roughly 16% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The neighborhood has long been a landing place for Black and Hispanic families seeking affordable Brooklyn housing, and the school's demographics track that reality closely.

Three subway stops sit within a six-minute walk: Sutter Av on the L, Livonia Av on the L, and Pennsylvania Av on the 3. That gives families decent flexibility for getting to and from school without a car.