At a Glance
A small District 75 school where every student has an IEP and parent trust runs remarkably high
Best suited for
Families of children with IEPs who want a small, stable PK-12 setting in a family-dense Brooklyn neighborhood and who value strong parent-school relationships over large-campus resources.
What stands out
- 100% of students have IEPs — this is a District 75 specialized school, not a general education setting
- Zero suspensions across all grades, a remarkable discipline record for a PK-12 school
- Parent-principal trust at 99% — among the highest figures you'll see in any school survey
- Small enrollment of 435 spanning pre-K through 12th grade means students can stay in one setting for years
- Average class size of 25 is on par with the district, despite the specialized population
Things to consider
- This is a District 75 school — families seeking general education should look elsewhere, and families with children who have IEPs should confirm the school's specific programming matches their child's needs
- Teacher-principal trust at 77% is meaningfully lower than parent trust, suggesting some internal alignment gaps that don't show up in family-facing numbers
- Only 12% of families responded to the parent survey, so the glowing satisfaction and trust numbers come from a small subset of the school community
- No standardized proficiency data was provided, making it harder to benchmark against other District 75 sites or general education peers
- Teacher-reported safety (94%) and instruction quality (83%) both trail district averages, even with strong family-side numbers
Based on 2024-25 data
School SummaryDistrict 15
Although P.S. K053 sits geographically within District 15, its DBN identifies it as a District 75 citywide special education school, so the peer schools listed above (general education sites in District 15) are not the right benchmark. Within the District 75 universe, this is a small PK-12 site with notably high family engagement and an unusually clean discipline record.
Academics
No state proficiency data was provided for this school, so we can't compare ELA, math, or science results to district averages here. That gap matters less than it might at a general-education school — P.S. K053 is a District 75 specialized setting where 100% of students have IEPs and academic goals are individualized rather than grade-level-proficiency-driven. Standardized proficiency comparisons would not be meaningful for this population.
Culture
The day-to-day feel here is shaped by an unusual split in the climate data: families clearly feel heard (parent-principal trust at 99%, parent-teacher trust at 97%), while teachers report lower confidence in school leadership (teacher-principal trust at 77%). Teacher-reported safety at 94% sits below the district average of 97%, and teacher-rated instruction quality is 83% versus a district 89% — modest gaps worth noting. The discipline picture is unusually clean: zero suspensions across the entire PK-12 span, which is remarkable for a school of this size and worth real weight in any parent's calculation. The family survey response rate of just 12% is a limitation — parent voices are enthusiastic, but only 51 families weighed in.
Community
Every one of the 435 students here has an IEP, which defines the school more than any other single fact. The student body is Hispanic (40%), Black (34%), Asian (13%), White (9%), with a diversity index of 77% — a genuinely mixed population that mirrors Sunset Park's immigrant and working-class character. The economic need index of 91.7 means nearly all students come from low-income households, consistent with a neighborhood where 17.3% of residents live below the poverty line and homeownership is rare.
Neighborhood
Sunset Park (West) is a working-class Brooklyn neighborhood where most families rent — the homeownership rate is just 25.2% — and the median household income sits at about $81,377. Almost 20% of households include children, which is why local schools tend to be full, and 35.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree. The median home value of just over $1 million reflects the tension long-time residents feel as the area changes around them.
The school is within walking distance of three subway stops: the Prospect Av R train (about 8 minutes on foot), the 15 St-Prospect Park F and G (about 10 minutes), and the 25 St R (about 10 minutes).
Survey Results
NYC School Survey (2025) · 51 families responded (12% rate)
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Discipline
NYSED Student & Educator Database
Economic Need & Special Populations
How to get in, step by step
P.S. K053 is a District 75 school, part of the city's network of programs for students with significant disabilities. There's no application to file: a child is placed here when their IEP recommends a District 75 setting.
- 1Talk with your child's IEP team about the setting the IEP recommends.
- 2If it recommends a District 75 program, the DOE offers the seat — ask the team which programs they're considering and visit them.
District 75 is the city's citywide district for students with significant disabilities. In the DOE's words, it provides “highly specialized instructional support” for students with challenges such as autism, significant cognitive delays, emotional disabilities, sensory impairments and multiple disabilities.
Its classes run in schools where every student has an IEP, as special classes inside District 1–32 schools, in general education classrooms, and in agencies, hospitals and at home. The IEP team, which includes you, recommends the program and class size.
From NYC Public Schools' District 75 page, read October 17, 2026.
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From the MySchools admissions calendar, checked weekly.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is P.S. K053 a good school?
- Published quality ratings aren't available for P.S. K053 yet on Motley. It's a public school serving grades Pre-K to 12 in Sunset Park (West).
- What grades does P.S. K053 serve?
- P.S. K053 serves grades Pre-K to 12.
- How do students get into P.S. K053?
- P.S. K053 is a District 75 school, part of the city's citywide district for students with significant disabilities. There's no application: a child is placed here when their IEP team recommends a District 75 setting.
- Is P.S. K053 public, charter, or private?
- P.S. K053 is a public school in District 75, the city's citywide special education district.
- What neighborhood is P.S. K053 in?
- P.S. K053 is in Sunset Park (West), Brooklyn.