P.S./I.S. 187 Hudson Cliffs

This school's academic story is defined by its trajectory. In 2016, only about half of students met ELA standards; today, 82.7% do — a 32-point jump that puts the school roughly 36 points above the district average of 47%. Math has climbed nearly as dramatically, from 51.9% to 76.4%, also well above the district's 52.1%. The gains are broad: seventh graders post a 91.4% ELA proficiency rate, fourth and fifth graders hover in the mid-80s, and only eighth-grade math (68.1%) looks like a soft spot. Science proficiency at 71.4% is solid, and the school's overall 3.18/4 score is well above the district's 1.98/4.

The day-to-day feel of this school looks calm and family-friendly on the surface — 91% parent satisfaction, 93% parent-teacher trust, 96% teacher-reported safety, and zero suspensions for three straight years. Attendance is healthy at 93%, slightly above the district average. But two numbers deserve a closer look. Chronic absenteeism sits at 78.3%, meaning nearly four out of five students miss enough school to be flagged — and rates climb above 85% among several demographic subgroups. Teacher-principal trust is also notably lower than other staff indicators at 57%, suggesting some friction between faculty and leadership even as teachers rate their collegial relationships (83%) and instruction quality (80%) positively. Families should ask how the school is tackling attendance and what's behind the leadership trust gap.

The student body is roughly half Hispanic (48%) and just over a third White (38%), with smaller shares of multiracial (6%), Asian (4%), and Black (4%) students — a different mix than the neighborhood's overall racial profile. About 19% of students have IEPs and the school runs ELL support, signaling a meaningful share of students who need additional services. The economic need index is 36.3, meaning more than a third of students come from lower-income households, even though the surrounding census tract has a median income around $77,000 and a 14% poverty rate. It's a school that draws a mix from across the neighborhood rather than reflecting its immediate blocks.

Washington Heights is a working- and middle-class corner of upper Manhattan where the median household earns just under $77,000 a year, roughly 14% of residents live below the poverty line, and about 42% of adults hold a bachelor's degree. Homeownership is uncommon here at 17.5%, so most families rent, and only about 13% of households include children under 18 — a smaller share than many NYC neighborhoods. It's a transit-dependent area where most residents rely on the subway to get downtown.

The school is about a 5-minute walk from the 190 St (A) station and a 7-minute walk from the 181 St (A) station, with the 181 St (1) station roughly 10 minutes away on foot.