P.S. 380 John Wayne Elementary

P.S. 380's academic results sit well below District 14 averages: 44.3% ELA proficiency and 45.9% math proficiency, compared to district marks of roughly 62% and 59%. The overall school score of 1.8 out of 4 also trails the district's 2.4. The year-to-year trajectory has been bumpy — scores climbed to 59% ELA and 63% math in 2023 before pulling back to the mid-40s in 2024 and 2025. Grade-level data tells an uneven story: third-graders post solid results (61% ELA, 62% math), fourth-graders drop sharply (23% ELA, 26% math), and fifth-graders recover partially (50% ELA, 51% math). The volatility suggests a school where outcomes depend heavily on which cohort and which year you look at, rather than a steady upward climb.

The day-to-day feel at P.S. 380, at least according to the people inside it, is unusually strong. Teacher-reported safety is 99% — well above the district's 97% — and 97% of teachers rate instruction quality positively, compared to 93% districtwide. Parents report 95% satisfaction and near-perfect trust in both teachers (98%) and the principal (96%). Discipline is a non-issue: zero suspensions over three consecutive years, against a district average suspension rate of 0.56%. The one serious concern is chronic absenteeism at 50.7%, meaning more than half the students missed enough school to qualify — a number that drags on everything from instruction continuity to test prep. The 88.2% attendance rate is just a touch below the district's 89%, but it's the chronic absence figure that tells the heavier story, and it cuts across every demographic group.

P.S. 380 serves 423 students from PK through fifth grade, with a student body that's 68% Hispanic, 21% Black, 9% White, and small slices of Asian and Native American students. That mix closely mirrors the surrounding South Williamsburg neighborhood, which has a large Latino population and a poverty rate approaching 50%. A quarter of students have IEPs, and the economic need index of 84.7 signals a community with significant financial pressure. The diversity index of 49% reflects a school that's predominantly Hispanic but not monolithic — there's real representation across racial lines, just weighted heavily toward one group.

South Williamsburg is a family-dense, working-class neighborhood where 45% of households include children and the median household income sits around $38,784 — less than half the citywide median. Nearly half of residents live below the poverty line, and only about 17% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, which means many P.S. 380 families are navigating school systems in a second language or while working multiple jobs. Homeownership is low at 17%, though median home values near $816,000 reflect the broader Williamsburg market pressure bearing down on a renter-majority community. It's a neighborhood where the school is genuinely embedded in family life.

Three subway options within a short walk: the G at Flushing Avenue (about 5 minutes), the G at Broadway (about 7 minutes), and the M and J lines at Hewes Street (about 8 minutes).