P.S./M.S. 280 Mosholu Parkway

ELA proficiency at 45.3% is essentially at the district average of 45%, and math at 43.4% sits right at the district's 43.5%. The long-term trend is the real story here — ELA has climbed from 28% in 2016 and math from 31.6%, with this year's ELA score the highest the school has recorded. There was a notable dip in 2024 (ELA fell to 37.8%) before rebounding sharply in 2025. Science proficiency at 27% is the weakest area and drags down the picture, especially given how far ELA and math have come. By grade, Grade 7 leads in ELA (53.6%) while Grade 5 math is a clear weak spot at 28.4%.

Despite chronic absenteeism sitting at 57% — meaning more than half of students miss significant school — the trust signals inside the building are remarkably strong. Parent-teacher trust is 97% and parent-principal trust is 96%, well above district averages, and 98% of teachers say the school is safe (vs. 87% district-wide). Discipline has effectively disappeared: zero suspensions in 2023-24, down from three in 2021-22. The day-to-day feel is one of a calm, relationship-driven school where adults trust each other and kids aren't being pushed out — but getting students through the door consistently is a real, ongoing challenge.

The student body is 75% Hispanic, 10% Black, 10% Asian, and 4% White — a close reflection of the surrounding Norwood neighborhood, where median household income is $47,299 and over a quarter of residents live below the poverty line. The economic need index of 91.3% tells you almost every family at this school is navigating financial pressure. Twenty-six percent of students have IEPs, and ELL Support is one of the school's named programs, meaning a meaningful share of students are English learners. With a 49% diversity index and 718 students, this is a sizeable, genuinely diverse community school rather than a homogeneous one.

Norwood is a densely populated, working-class stretch of the central Bronx where homeownership is rare (4.5%) and most families rent. Median household income of $47,299 sits well below the city median, and 26.8% of residents live in poverty, though 22.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree and the median home value of $460,427 reflects real housing costs. Only 18.3% of households include children, which is lower than you'd guess given how many kids are in the local schools — many families in this neighborhood are doubled up or sharing housing.

Transit access is genuinely convenient: the D train at Norwood-205 St is about a 4-minute walk, the 4 train at Mosholu Pkwy about 6 minutes, and the B and D at Bedford Park Blvd about 8 minutes — three lines connecting the school to much of the Bronx and Manhattan.