P.S./M.S. 194

The school is below district averages on both ELA (46.6% vs. 56.7%) and overall quality score (1.99/4 vs. 2.25/4), with math essentially at the district line (53% vs. 55.6%). But the longer view is more encouraging: ELA proficiency has climbed from 31.4% in 2016 to 46.6% in 2025, and math from 38.1% to 53% — a real, multi-year upward trajectory. The picture is also strikingly uneven across grades. Third-graders post just 32.5% ELA proficiency and fifth-graders 36.1%, while seventh- and eighth-graders reach the low 60s in both subjects. That gap suggests the middle-school program is doing something right that the elementary years haven't yet replicated.

Parents are enthusiastic — 93% parent satisfaction, 96% trust in teachers, and 96% trust in the principal — and discipline is essentially a non-issue, with a single suspension last year and a 0% suspension rate well below the district average of 0.49%. The numbers from teachers, though, paint a more cautious picture. Only 58% of teachers trust the principal (compared to 96% of parents), and teacher-reported safety sits at 80%, well below the district's 95%. Teacher-rated instruction quality is 85%, also below the district's 92%. The 91.3% attendance rate matches the district average, but chronic absenteeism at 68.8% means more than two-thirds of students missed enough days to be flagged — a significant concern even if it's consistent with what many Bronx schools are seeing. Day to day, this looks like a school where families feel welcomed and behavior is handled calmly, but where teachers are more measured in their assessment of leadership and conditions.

The student body is roughly half Hispanic (50%) and over a third Asian (38%), with smaller Black (7%), White (4%), and multiracial populations — a diversity index of 62%. The economic need index of 85.8 means most students come from low-income households, and 17% have IEPs. ELL support is built into the program, reflecting the large Asian population. This mix mirrors Westchester Square's profile as a working-class, immigrant-rooted neighborhood with a growing Asian American presence alongside long-time Hispanic families.

Westchester Square is a working-class corner of the eastern Bronx with a median household income around $52,500 and a poverty rate near 23%. About 22% of households include children, and just over a fifth of adults hold a bachelor's degree. Homeownership is low (around 22%), suggesting a renter-heavy block, though the median home value of about $617,000 reflects broader Bronx price trends. The area has a long-standing Hispanic identity with a growing Asian American community — the same mix that shows up in the school's enrollment.

Three 6-train stops serve the school: Zerega Av is the closest at about a 2-minute walk, with Castle Hill Av (about 6 minutes) and Westchester Sq–E Tremont Av (about 8 minutes) also nearby, making subway commuting straightforward.