P.S. 396

P.S. 396's academic story is one of the more striking turnarounds in the district. ELA proficiency jumped from 19.2% in 2018 to 48.4% in 2025, and Math from 18.1% to 45.2%, with both subjects now sitting modestly above District 10 averages (roughly 45% ELA and 43.5% Math). The 1.87/4 overall score edges out the district's 1.77. Scores skew older — Grade 4 ELA at 61.3% and Grade 5 Math at 53.3% are genuinely strong, while Grade 3 sits at 32.3% in both subjects, suggesting the gains are taking time to filter down to the earliest tested grades. With 37% of students classified as IEP, the school is also doing this work with a population that often faces additional learning barriers.

This is a school of striking internal contrasts. Parents are deeply bought-in: 96% satisfaction, 98% trust in teachers, and 97% trust in the principal are all above district averages and among the strongest you'll see. Suspensions? Zero — for three consecutive years. But flip to the teacher side of the survey and the picture shifts: only 81% rate instruction quality positively (district average is 91%) and just 77% describe the school as safe (district average 87%). Attendance itself is solid at 92.8%, yet 79.8% of students qualify as chronically absent — a number that's hard to reconcile with strong test gains and likely reflects the very real instability many families in this neighborhood face. The day-to-day feel, judging from the parent data, is warm and tightly knit; the teacher data suggests staff may feel stretched.

P.S. 396's student body mirrors its Morris Heights neighborhood closely: about 75% Hispanic and 21% Black, with very small Asian and multiracial populations. The diversity index of 41% is moderate — this is a fairly homogeneous school serving a working-class, predominantly immigrant neighborhood. The economic need index of 89.5% means nearly nine in ten students qualify as high-need, and 37% are classified as IEP, well above typical city averages. With only 246 students, classrooms stay small and families tend to know each other well — a place where anonymity is unlikely.

P.S. 396 sits in the Morris Heights section of District 10, a working-class, heavily renter neighborhood where the median household income is $32,393, about 37% of residents live below the poverty line, and only 6.5% own their homes. Just 14.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, and only 14.1% of households include children under 18 — meaning most area households are adults without kids, which is worth keeping in mind when thinking about after-school peer networks. The school is genuinely accessible by transit, with three subway options within a 10-minute radius.

Three subway stations are within walking distance: the 4 train at Burnside Avenue (about 6 minutes), the 4 train at 176th Street (about 9 minutes), and the B and D trains at Tremont Avenue (about 10 minutes).