P.S. 345 Patrolman Robert Bolden

P.S. 345's 2025 results are a clear break from its long-term pattern. From 2016 through 2024, ELA proficiency hovered in the low-to-mid 20s (it dipped to 19.2% in 2019 and sat at 28.8% in 2024), and math proficiency generally ranged from the high 20s to high 40s. In 2025, ELA jumped to 53.7% — roughly 5 points above the district average of 48.9% — and math climbed to 62.4%, about 14 points above the district average of 48.2%. The school's overall quality score of 2.32/4 also sits above the district average of 1.94. Results are strongest in the younger tested grades: 3rd graders posted 61.1% in ELA and 75.3% in math, while 5th graders trailed at 49.4% and 45.5%. A single year is not a trend, but the magnitude of the jump is unusual and worth watching closely next year.

The day-to-day feel here is shaped by unusually strong family-school relationships rather than by discipline issues. Parent satisfaction is 97% (district average 91%), parent-teacher trust is 99%, and parent-principal trust is at a remarkable 100%. Teachers report 95% on instruction quality (above the district's 88%) and 96% on safety. The school has reported zero suspensions across three consecutive years. The one real pressure point is attendance: while the overall attendance rate of 90.2% is slightly above the district average of 89.9%, chronic absenteeism stands at 61.9% — meaning more than 6 in 10 students miss enough school to be flagged. Hispanic and Asian students are absent at the highest rates within the school (67-68%), which is a flag worth raising with the school directly.

P.S. 345's student body is 55% Hispanic, 32% Black, 9% Asian, 3% White, with a diversity index of 61%. That mix closely tracks the surrounding neighborhood, which has a 25% poverty rate and a median household income around $58,000. The economic need index of 87.5% reflects that most families arrive with limited resources — about 9 in 10 students qualify as economically disadvantaged by the city's formula. Thirteen percent of students have IEPs. PTA fundraising sits at roughly $1 per student, far below the district average of about $19 per student, which says less about parent involvement (the survey data shows the opposite) and more about household budgets.

P.S. 345 sits in the northern part of East New York, where roughly 1 in 6 households include children. The surrounding census tract has a median household income around $57,800, a 25% poverty rate, and a homeownership rate of just 30% — most families rent. About 16% of neighborhood adults hold a bachelor's degree, and the median home value sits around $617,000. This is a family-dense, transit-dependent area where many households are working multiple jobs and stretching to make rent. Roughly 17% of households include children under 18, so the school sits in a real pool of school-age families.

Three subway options are within walking distance: the Shepherd Av station (C train, about a 4-minute walk), and the Norwood Av (J and Z) and Cleveland St (J) stations, each about an 8-minute walk.