Parkside Preparatory Academy

Parkside's ELA proficiency of 44.7% and math proficiency of 35.3% both sit well below the District 17 averages of about 61% and 57% respectively — but the trajectory is the more interesting story. ELA has nearly doubled since 2016 (from 25.7%) and math has climbed from 21% to 35.3%, with the largest single-year jump coming in 2025. Science proficiency of 31.4% rounds out a picture of a school that's clearly improving but still catching up to its district peers. The grade-by-grade breakdown shows math peaking sharply in 7th grade (43.2%) before sliding back in 8th (30.2%), suggesting some fall-off as students approach the Regents.

Day-to-day at Parkside is calm and family-engaged. The school has averaged essentially zero suspensions over the past three years — just a single suspension in 2023-24 — which is unusually low. Parent trust runs high: 89% parent-teacher trust, 83% parent-principal trust, and an impressive 85% family survey response rate show families are plugged in. Teacher-side trust is more uneven — 90% of teachers rate instruction quality highly, but only 74% express strong trust in the principal, hinting at some friction between staff and leadership. The big asterisk here is chronic absenteeism at 66.5%, meaning two-thirds of students miss 10% or more of the school year — a challenge that's clearly outpacing the school's otherwise strong climate work. Attendance sits at 91.4%, right at the district average.

Parkside's student body is 69% Black and 19% Hispanic, with smaller shares of Asian (6%), White (3%), Native American (2%), and multiracial (1%) students, giving the school a moderate diversity index of 54%. The economic need index of 79.5% means roughly four out of five students come from households facing economic hardship, and 27% of students have IEPs — both well above city norms for a screened middle school. This is a school where most families are working hard to get their kids into a selective program, and where supports for a wide range of learners are part of the daily fabric.

Prospect Lefferts Gardens-Wingate is a densely built, renter-heavy stretch of central Brooklyn where median household income sits around $73,000 and 41.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher — a solidly middle-class neighborhood where many families rent rather than own (homeownership sits at just 22.5%). About 10% of households include children, and homes are valued at a median of nearly $950,000, reflecting the area's long-standing appeal. The mix of renters and homeowners, combined with strong subway access, gives the area a steady, working-family feel.

One of the easier commutes in the borough — Winthrop Street (2/5 trains) is about a 2-minute walk, with Church Avenue and Sterling Street (also 2/5) each roughly 9 minutes away, giving families several options on the same line.