At a Glance
A neighborhood elementary where trust runs high but academics lag — serving a high-need community with nearly all students having IEPs
Families whose children have IEPs and are looking for a school with exceptional family-teacher relationships and a no-exclusion discipline approach. Parents who prioritize academic performance metrics may want to look elsewhere — teacher instruction quality ratings suggest the school struggles to deliver rigorous academics. Families seeking a neighborhood school with strong community trust and a culture of keeping kids in school will find something here.
- 100% of students have IEPs — this is a specialized school designed for students with special education needs
- Near-universal parent trust in teachers (96%) and principal (95%)
- Zero suspensions — discipline is handled in-house without removing students from class
- Strong teacher-reported safety (92%)
- Class sizes average 21.8 students, matching the district average
- Teacher instruction quality ratings (66%) are significantly below the district average (88%) — a real concern for academic delivery
- Academic proficiency in ELA and Math sits around 48-49%, essentially at the district average but well below citywide expectations
- Parent satisfaction (84%) trails the district average (91%)
- Only 31% of families completed surveys — the school may not be hearing from all parents
- With 100% IEP students, this school serves a specific population — it's not a general-education option
- Teacher turnover and stability aren't visible in this data but are worth asking about
Based on 2024-2025 data
School SummaryDistrict 19
P.S. K004 doesn't have a quality review score in the peer list, making direct comparison tricky. Among District 19 peers like P.S. 190 (85/100), P.S. 149 (81/100), and others ranging from 74-85, this school's academic position appears middle-of-the-road. Where it diverges is in trust and climate — those scores would likely place it near the top for relational health, even as academic metrics lag.
Test scores place this school roughly at the district average in both ELA (around 49%) and Math (around 48%) — essentially middle of the pack for District 19. With no academic proficiency data trending available, it's hard to know if scores are holding steady or slipping. What stands out is the gap between parent satisfaction (84%) and teacher instruction quality ratings (66%) — families feel served, but teachers report struggling with the day-to-day instruction quality. The economic need index of 85% tells the larger story: these are kids arriving with significant challenges that affect learning.
This is where P.S. K004 shines. Parent-teacher trust hits 96% and parent-principal trust reaches 95% — exceptional for any school, let alone a high-need district. Teachers report strong collegial trust (84%) and solid principal trust (85%). Teacher-reported safety is on par with the district average at 92%. The zero suspension rate is notable — this school is keeping kids in class rather than pushing them out, which matters enormously in a community where school pushout is a real concern. The one bump: family survey response rate is only 31%, suggesting many voices may not be heard in the data.
The student body is predominantly Black (56%) and Hispanic (28%), reflecting the East New York neighborhood's demographics. A small Asian population (8%) and White population (5%) round out a diverse community. The diversity index of 64% shows meaningful demographic mix. Every single student has an IEP — this is a school designed for students with individualized education plans, which shapes everything about its programming and class structure. With 85% economic need, almost all families here are navigating poverty.
East New York is a working-class Brooklyn neighborhood with real challenges: a safety score of only 31 (lowest percentile), though teacher-reported safety at the school itself is solid at 92%. Transit access is decent (score 68) — families can get around without a car. Family density is high (64th percentile), meaning lots of kids in the neighborhood. Education orientation is low (38), suggesting this isn't a community where families are heavily focused on school performance metrics — they're focused on basic stability. The poverty rate of 22.6% and low BA+ education rate (16%) shape what families need from their schools.
Many families walk to school — the neighborhood is dense and transit-connected, though safety concerns outside school hours are something parents weigh
Survey Results
NYC School Survey (2025) · 121 families responded (31% rate)
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Economic Need & Special Populations
Discipline
NYSED Student & Educator Database
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is P.S. K004 a good school?
- Published quality ratings aren't available for P.S. K004 yet on Motley. It's a public school serving grades Pre-K to 5 in East New York-New Lots.
- What grades does P.S. K004 serve?
- P.S. K004 serves grades Pre-K to 5.
- Is P.S. K004 public, charter, or private?
- P.S. K004 is a public school in NYC Community School District 19.
- What neighborhood is P.S. K004 in?
- P.S. K004 is in East New York-New Lots, Brooklyn.
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