Public School 9 The Sarah Smith Garnet School

PS 9's 2025 scores are the strongest in the eight years of data available — 72.2% ELA proficiency and 58.7% math proficiency, both well above the district averages of roughly 53% and 46%. The climb hasn't been perfectly steady: scores rose from 2016 through 2019, dropped with pandemic-era testing in 2022 and again in 2024, then jumped sharply in 2025. That volatility is worth knowing about, even though the most recent year is the school's best. Performance is strongest in the younger grades — Grade 3 hits 76% ELA and 71% math — and softens somewhat by Grade 5, where math proficiency drops to 49%. The overall quality rating of 2.62 out of 4 sits comfortably above the district average of about 1.98.

The climate picture is unusually clean. There have been zero suspensions in each of the last three reporting years — remarkable, and a meaningful signal about how the building handles behavior. Teachers report 98% safety (above the district's 96%) and rate instruction quality at 89%. Parent-facing metrics are the standout here: 98% of families trust both their child's teacher and the principal, and 100% of surveyed families agreed that the school has strong relationships — that's about as unified a parent body as you'll find. The main thing parents should ask about is the chronic absenteeism figure, which is reported high and deserves a direct conversation with the school about what it captures. Attendance, by contrast, is solidly above district average at 94.6%.

The student body reflects a genuine mix — roughly 39% Black, 30% White, 20% Hispanic, and 9% Asian students, with a 77% diversity index that signals real variety rather than token representation. The economic need index of 38.5 (out of 100) is on the lower-middle side, meaning the school serves a meaningful share of higher-need families without being concentrated in poverty. Thirteen percent of students have IEPs. PTA fundraising of $802 per student — almost double the district average — points to families with both means and willingness to contribute, which usually translates into enrichment programs, classroom extras, and a parent body that shows up.

Prospect Heights is one of Brooklyn's more affluent and parent-saturated neighborhoods, with a median household income around $150,000, a bachelor's-degree-or-higher rate near 79%, and a poverty rate of just 6.4%. Only about 17% of households have children — which is still family-friendly by city standards but means the surrounding blocks lean toward adult professionals, including plenty of dual-income households. Home values are steep, with a median north of $1.2 million, and homeownership sits at 37%, reflecting the kind of stability that tends to pair well with a zoned public school.

Families have three subway options within roughly a seven-minute walk: the C at Clinton-Washington Avs, the 2 and 3 at Grand Army Plaza, and the B and Q at 7 Av. That's solid coverage in multiple directions, which makes drop-off logistics reasonable for working parents.