Paula Hedbavny School

Paula Hedbavny's ELA proficiency (48.7%) edges just above the District 6 average of 47%, while math (50.5%) lands a touch below the district's 52.1% — so the school is performing right at its peer group overall. Science is the standout: at 75.7% proficiency, it pulls well ahead of the other subjects and signals real strength in that area. The eight-year picture is bumpy rather than trending — ELA peaked at 54.4% in 2018, dipped to 41.6% in 2024, and recovered this year; math collapsed to 35.3% in 2022 before climbing back to its current level. Scores swing widely by grade: eighth graders post the strongest results (76.3% ELA, 64.9% math) while sixth graders lag sharply (28.1% ELA), suggesting older students are far better prepared than the middle grades.

The trust numbers here are among the best in the district: parent-principal trust hits 99%, parent-teacher trust 97%, and teachers report 98% safety in the building — well above the district average of 93%. Discipline is essentially a non-issue, with zero suspensions in the most recent year and a downward trend from just one the year before. But chronic absenteeism at 64.6% is the headline issue — meaning nearly two-thirds of students miss enough school to be flagged, which makes consistent instruction a real daily challenge. Day-to-day, this likely looks like a school where adults are aligned and the building feels safe, but a meaningful share of kids simply aren't in seats often enough.

Three-quarters of students are Hispanic, with a notable White contingent (16%) and smaller Asian, Black, and multiracial populations — a body that reflects Inwood's Latino roots while also drawing families who might not stereotypically be associated with the neighborhood. With an economic need index of 64.5, the school serves a working-class to lower-middle-class population, and 21% of students have IEPs alongside ELL support services. The neighborhood itself is heavily renter-occupied (only 9.2% own homes) and has a below-average share of households with children (15.2%), so the families who send kids here are a committed subset of a renter-heavy community.

Inwood sits at the very top of Manhattan, and the census figures paint a working- and middle-class community: median household income around $63,000, a 15.4% poverty rate, and a 40% rate of college-educated adults. Just 9.2% of households own their homes — renters dominate — and only about 15% of households include children, meaning families with school-age kids are a minority within the neighborhood. For those families, the 1 train runs right through the area, making subway commutes into other parts of the borough straightforward.

The school is a quick walk from Dyckman St (1) and 207 St (1), both about 5–6 minutes on foot, with Inwood-207 St (A) about 11 minutes away — making subway drop-offs easy for most families.