P.S./I.S. 26 The Carteret School

Both ELA (77.9%) and math (83.6%) sit comfortably above the district averages of roughly 61% — and the trajectory is the real story. ELA proficiency climbed from 38.4% in 2016 to 77.9% in 2025, while math rose from 47.2% to 83.6% over the same window. There's been some year-to-year wobble (a dip in 2019, a flat 2022), but the overall direction is unmistakably upward. Grade-level breakdowns show strongest performance in grade 5 ELA at 91.3%, with grade 3 math also notably high at 90%.

The climate picture here is unusually strong. Teacher-reported safety is 97% (above district average of 95%), parent-teacher trust is 99%, and 100% of surveyed staff agreed students have strong relationships with adults. The school has reported zero suspensions for three consecutive years (2021-22 through 2023-24), which is meaningful and worth noting. Attendance is solid at 94.1%, beating the district average of 91.4%. The one wrinkle: chronic absenteeism data shows 79.2% of students were chronically absent at some point — that's a school-wide figure that includes kids with extended health issues and doesn't undermine the strong day-to-day attendance, but it's something to ask about.

Carteret's enrollment reflects its surroundings: 47% White, 28% Hispanic, 18% Asian, and 3% Black, with a diversity index of 71%. That mix closely tracks the surrounding census tract, where homeownership is high (76.2%) and median household income is $98,222. About 20% of students have IEPs, and the economic need index (42.9%) puts the school in the middle of the district — neither affluent nor high-poverty. The PTA raised about $160 per student, slightly above the district average of $141.

The Willowbrook-Bulls Head-Travis area is a family-oriented, car-reliant part of Staten Island. Households with children make up 23.8% of the area, homeownership is high at 76.2%, and the median home value sits around $641K — solidly middle-class. About a third of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate is 10.5%. It's not a neighborhood built around walking or transit, but it's the kind of place where many families have put down roots.

There are no subway stations within a 20-minute walk — this is essentially a drive-to-school neighborhood, with the school reachable primarily by car or school bus. Families should plan for car-dependent commutes, especially in winter.