School of the Future Brooklyn

The academic story here is one of the steepest improvements in the district. ELA proficiency climbed from 9.7% in 2016 to 36.8% in 2025, and math went from 4.5% to 24.3% — both roughly quadrupling. Even so, the school still sits below district averages of 48.9% ELA and 48.2% math. The 8th-grade class is leading the way with 47.7% ELA proficiency, while 7th-grade ELA sits at 18.5% — a notable intra-school gap that likely reflects how pandemic-era disruptions are moving through the cohorts. The trend is clearly upward, but the work isn't finished.

The day-to-day feel of this school is unusually calm for a middle school: zero suspensions in 2023-24, down from 13 in 2021-22 and 9 the year before. Family engagement is exceptional — a 99% survey response rate and 95% parent satisfaction (above the district's 91.4%), with 98% reporting they trust the principal. Teachers rate their own instruction quality at 89% (above the district 87.9%), though teacher-to-teacher trust sits at a more modest 68%, which can hint at uneven collaboration among a small staff. Chronic absenteeism is the one climate metric working against all the gains — at 62.7%, it's high enough to undercut student growth, even as overall attendance (88.4%) sits just slightly below the district average of 89.9%.

The student body is overwhelmingly Black and Hispanic (67% and 32%), closely reflecting the surrounding East New York community. With an economic need index of 92.4% and 38% of students classified as IEP, the school serves a population facing significant outside pressures. At just 96 students, the community is tight — most families probably know each other — and a 99% family survey response rate suggests parents are unusually invested.

East New York-New Lots is a working-class Brooklyn neighborhood where the median household income is around $58,000 and roughly 22.6% of residents live below the poverty line. Homeownership is unusually low at 29.3%, meaning most families rent, and only about 16% of adults hold a bachelor's degree. Just over 10% of households include children. Even so, median home values near the school hover around $605,000, reflecting the area's ongoing reinvestment.

Three subway stations sit within a 6-minute walk: Pennsylvania Av and Junius St on the 3 line, and Livonia Av on the L — giving families multiple ways to get to school.