Soundview Academy for Culture and Scholarship

Test scores have improved significantly — math went from 15.4% to 43.8% and ELA from 19.8% to 36.2% in one year — but both still sit below the District 8 averages (46.2% ELA, 48% math). Grade 8 math is notably weaker (28.9%) than grades 6-7, suggesting uneven progression. The school's 1.6 overall score on the 4-point scale also trails the district average of 1.88. Still, the upward trend from a 2016 baseline of 16.6% ELA is real — students here are catching up, though they're not yet leading the pack.

Parent satisfaction is excellent (95%) and families report strong trust in teachers and the principal (94-96%). However, only 18 teachers completed the survey — a tiny sample — and their trust in leadership (58%) is notably low compared to parents. The 6% suspension rate is far above the district average of 0.6%, with suspensions climbing from 7 to 18 over three years. Attendance is a concern: 86.2% daily attendance is below the 89.4% district average, and a striking 43.5% of students are chronically absent. This isn't a chaotic school, but there's a real tension between what parents feel and what teachers experience, and the chronic absenteeism suggests many families face barriers to getting kids to school consistently.

This is a predominantly Hispanic (69%) and Black (28%) school with very few Asian or white students, reflecting the surrounding neighborhood's demographics. With an economic need index of 86 and 30% of students having IEPs, the student body faces significant challenges outside school walls. Class sizes average 22.6 students, essentially matching the district average.

Soundview-Clason Point is a working-class Bronx neighborhood with a poverty rate of 21.8% and median household income of $64,402. The safety score (41.76) is low, and the education orientation score (19.92) suggests families here are navigating stress more than enrichment. At 28.3% homeownership, most families rent. Transit access is mediocre (46.36). This is a neighborhood where families are managing — not one with many educational resources or extracurricular options on every corner.

Walkable within the neighborhood, but families from farther afield may rely on bus or subway — transit scores suggest moderate accessibility, not great