At a Glance
A District 12 special education school where 100% of students have IEPs and families report exceptionally high trust in leadership
Families with children who have Individualized Education Programs and value a school with strong parent-principal trust, zero suspensions, and a supportive approach to discipline. Families should be prepared to advocate for specific academic outcome data and understand this is a specialized setting, not a traditional elementary/middle school.
- 100% IEP enrollment — a school specifically designed for students with disabilities
- Zero suspensions — discipline focused on support rather than exclusion
- Exceptional trust metrics: 95% parent-principal trust and 94% parent-teacher trust
- Teacher-reported safety (90%) exceeds district average (84.6%)
- No state academic proficiency data available — families may need to request specific outcome data for their child's disability category
- Low family survey response rate (12%) means these strong numbers reflect a subset of engaged families
- Located in a neighborhood with low safety scores and significant poverty — context matters
- No attendance data provided to assess daily engagement patterns
- Surrounded by high-performing charter schools in the district — this specialized setting operates differently from traditional schools
Based on 2024-2025 data
School SummaryDistrict 12
District 12 includes some of the city's highest-performing charter schools (South Bronx Classical at 96/100, Bold at 88/100), but Walter J. Damrosch operates in a completely different category — serving exclusively students with IEPs. Direct comparisons to peer school rankings are not meaningful. Among the district's special education programs, the school's trust and safety scores appear notably strong.
Academic proficiency data is not reported for this specialized setting, which is typical for many District 12 special education programs. The school serves exclusively students with IEPs, making standardized test comparisons to district averages misleading. Class size averages 21.9 students, matching the district average.
The survey data paints a remarkably positive picture of school culture. Parent satisfaction sits at 88%, and the trust metrics are exceptional: 94% parent-teacher trust and 95% parent-principal trust. Teachers report 90% safety — notably above the district average of 84.6%. Teacher instruction quality scores 88%, and teacher collegial trust is 85%. With zero suspensions, the school appears to prioritize supportive intervention over exclusionary discipline. The family survey response rate is low at 12% (84 responses), which means these positive numbers come from a committed subset of families.
The school serves 654 students with 100% IEP enrollment — every student has an Individualized Education Program. Demographics reflect the Morrisania neighborhood: 53% Hispanic, 39% Black, 4% Asian, 2% White. The diversity index is 56%, indicating moderate demographic variety. This is a school specifically designed for students with disabilities, drawing families from across the district who need specialized services.
Morrisania is a high-density, high-poverty Bronx neighborhood where 88% of residents rank it as family-dense. Median household income is just $33,049, and only 8.9% of residents own homes. The education orientation score is low at 26.82, while the safety score sits at a concerning 3.07 — among the lowest in the city. However, transit access is strong (72.41 percentile), and the neighborhood has visible community resources. Environmental health indicators show elevated lead rates (15.1%) and high asthma rates (75.5 per 1,000), reflecting broader neighborhood health challenges.
Families likely walk or take public transit — the neighborhood has strong transit access and low car ownership rates typical of the South Bronx.
Survey Results
NYC School Survey (2025) · 84 families responded (12% rate)
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Economic Need & Special Populations
Discipline
NYSED Student & Educator Database
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is P186X Walter J. Damrosch School a good school?
- Published quality ratings aren't available for P186X Walter J. Damrosch School yet on Motley. It's a public school serving grades Pre-K to 12 in Morrisania.
- What grades does P186X Walter J. Damrosch School serve?
- P186X Walter J. Damrosch School serves grades Pre-K to 12.
- Is P186X Walter J. Damrosch School public, charter, or private?
- P186X Walter J. Damrosch School is a public school in NYC Community School District 12.
- What neighborhood is P186X Walter J. Damrosch School in?
- P186X Walter J. Damrosch School is in Morrisania, Bronx.
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