At a Glance
A math-rebounding Bronx school with an environmental learning identity and zero suspensions on its record
Best suited for
Families who want an unscreened neighborhood school with a clear academic identity (especially in math), value a suspension-free environment, and are comfortable navigating a building where teacher morale and day-to-day attendance are works in progress.
Overall Rating
Rating = average of NY State ELA + math proficiency, grades 3–8
Bands are Motley's thresholds on a 0–100 scale, not New York State performance levels.
How this is scored→What stands out
- Math proficiency has rebounded dramatically — from 27% in 2022 to 60% in 2025, well above the District 10 average
- Zero suspensions for three consecutive years, in a district where the average rate is about 0.3%
- Environmental learning identity baked into the school's name and program
- High parent-teacher trust (92%) and parent-principal trust (88%) signal families feel connected to the classroom
- 26% of students have IEPs — substantially higher than typical, meaning strong special education staffing is part of the school's daily reality
Things to consider
- Chronic absenteeism at 67.7% means roughly two-thirds of students miss significant school time — routines can feel unpredictable
- Teacher-principal trust at 44% and teacher collegial trust at 47% suggest the staff culture is more strained than the parent-facing numbers suggest
- Proficiency varies sharply by grade cohort — Grade 6 math is 30% while Grade 5 math is 83%, so experiences aren't uniform across the building
- Teacher-reported safety at 78% trails the district average of 87%, worth asking the school directly about
- PTA fundraising at $21 per student limits parent-funded enrichment compared to most District 10 schools
Based on 2024-25 data
School SummaryDistrict 10
X015 sits in the middle of District 10 — its overall score of 2.19/4 beats the district average of 1.77, but it trails the higher-performing peer schools like P.S. 24 and P.S. 81. Within the district, it's a school that's quietly outperforming on math while remaining unzoned for selective admissions.
Academics
Math is the headline: 60.1% puts X015 well above the District 10 average of 43.5%, and the trajectory is genuinely strong — from 39.3% in 2016 to 60.1% in 2025, with a sharp recovery from the 2022 dip. ELA at 49.4% also edges out the district average of 45%, though the year-to-year path has been bumpier. The grade-by-grade numbers tell a mixed story — Grade 5 hits 83% in math while Grade 6 lands at 30%, suggesting a child's experience here can vary a lot depending on which cohort they land in.
Culture
The day-to-day picture is a study in contrasts. Average daily attendance is 91.5%, just above the district average, yet 67.7% of students qualify as chronically absent — a figure that signals real day-to-day inconsistency in who shows up. Parents feel heard: parent-teacher trust is 92% and parent-principal trust 88%, though overall parent satisfaction (88%) trails the district's 94%. Teachers tell a different story — only 44% trust their principal and 47% trust colleagues, while 79% rate instruction quality positively. The standout is discipline: zero suspensions for three consecutive years, against a district average suspension rate of roughly 0.3%.
Community
X015's 407 students are overwhelmingly Hispanic (87%), with a smaller Black enrollment of about 10%, a profile that mirrors the surrounding neighborhood where Hispanic families make up the majority of households. The student body carries significant economic weight — an economic need index of 84.9 — and 26% of students have IEPs, well above typical rates. PTA fundraising totals just $21 per student, a fraction of the district's $74 average, so the extras here lean on what the school and teachers provide rather than what parents can raise.
Neighborhood
University Heights–Fordham is a working-class Bronx neighborhood where median household income hovers near $43,000 and about a quarter of residents live below the poverty line. Only 15.7% of households include children — lower than you'd expect for an area with so many young families — and just 13.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree. Renters dominate (homeownership is under 9%), and families largely rely on the 4 train to get around.
Three 4 train stations serve the area: 183 St about a 7-minute walk, Burnside Av about 9 minutes, and Fordham Rd about 11 minutes away.
Academic Performance
ELA Proficiency
Students scoring proficient or above on the NY State ELA exam.
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Math Proficiency
Students scoring proficient or above on the NY State Math exam.
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Science Proficiency
Students scoring proficient or above on the NY State Science exam.
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Historical Trends
The dashed line marks 2023, when New York changed its grades 3–8 state tests. Scores before and after it aren’t directly comparable.
2020–2021 data unavailable due to COVID-19
Source: NYC DOE School Quality Reports
Survey Results
NYC School Survey (2025) · 146 families responded (39% rate)
Programs & Activities
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
PTA Fundraising
Source: DOE Local Law 171 disclosure
Discipline
NYSED Student & Educator Database (2023-24)
Economic Need & Special Populations
How to get in, step by step
Kindergarten
P.S. X015 Institute for Environmental Learning doesn't have an attendance zone of its own, so living nearby doesn't guarantee a seat here. Families apply on MySchools, and seats go to the school's priority groups first, then by random lottery.
Kindergarten application
- Opens
- Wed, Dec 9
- Closes
- Fri, Jan 22
- Offers
- Tue, Mar 30
The DOE’s published dates.
- 1Apply on MySchools during the kindergarten application.
- 2Rank this school with your zoned school, if you have one, and any others you'd take — in true preference order.
Middle school (6th grade)
Middle school is one citywide application, made in 5th grade. P.S. X015 Institute for Environmental Learning admits through one program, and each one has its own admissions method:
- The Institute for Environmental LearningUnscreened52 seats
Middle school application
- Opened
- Wed, Oct 14
- Closes
- Fri, Dec 11
- Offers
- Wed, Apr 7
The DOE’s published dates.
- 1Apply on MySchools during the middle school application, in 5th grade.
- 2Unscreened programs fill by random lottery among the families who rank them.
- 3Rank programs in true preference order — the match places your child in the highest-ranked one that offers a seat.
Open houses and tours
We haven’t seen open-house dates for this school yet.
From the MySchools admissions calendar, checked weekly.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is P.S. X015 Institute for Environmental Learning a good school?
- On Motley, P.S. X015 Institute for Environmental Learning earns an overall rating of 55/100 — the average of the school's New York State ELA and math proficiency, grades 3–8, shown out of 100. Its state test results run above the District 10 average.
- What grades does P.S. X015 Institute for Environmental Learning serve?
- P.S. X015 Institute for Environmental Learning serves grades K to 8.
- How do students get into P.S. X015 Institute for Environmental Learning?
- P.S. X015 Institute for Environmental Learning admits by application through a random lottery, with no academic screen.
- Is P.S. X015 Institute for Environmental Learning public, charter, or private?
- P.S. X015 Institute for Environmental Learning is a public school in NYC Community School District 10.
- What neighborhood is P.S. X015 Institute for Environmental Learning in?
- P.S. X015 Institute for Environmental Learning is in University Heights (North)-Fordham, Bronx.