At a Glance
A small, literacy-centered public elementary school in the Concourse where families report unusually strong relationships with staff.
Best suited for
Families in the Concourse who want a small, relationship-driven public elementary school (grades 2-5) with a literacy focus and a non-punitive discipline approach, and who are comfortable choosing a neighborhood public option over higher-scoring charter alternatives.
What stands out
- Zero suspensions in 2023-24, against a district average of less than 1%
- 99% parent-principal trust — among the strongest you'll see in any NYC school survey
- 96% teacher-reported safety, far above the 80% district average
- Literacy-centered mission that's right in the school's name and visible in every grade it serves
- Includes a self-contained special education (SE) classroom alongside grades 2-5
Things to consider
- No published proficiency data in this dataset — parents should ask the school directly for ELA and math outcomes and how students are progressing over time
- The 65% teacher-principal trust gap is real and worth asking about on a school tour
- Surrounded by higher-scoring charter options (LEAD at 97/100, South Bronx Classical Charter II at 96/100) — families choosing this school are choosing a public-school culture over higher overall scores
- Only 16 teachers responded to the survey, so the strong numbers carry less statistical weight than they appear to
- Neighborhood poverty rate is high; family circumstances and out-of-school resources may vary widely across the student body
Based on 2024-25 data
School SummaryDistrict 7
District 7 is home to several standout charter schools, but as a public, unscreened neighborhood option, South Bronx Literacy Academy offers an accessible alternative with unusually high parent satisfaction and a clean discipline record.
Academics
No school-level proficiency rates are included in this dataset, so a direct read on ELA, math, or science outcomes isn't possible from the numbers in hand. What we can say is that teachers rate their own instruction quality at 98%, versus a district average of 88% — a 10-point gap suggesting staff feel well-equipped and supported in their classroom practice. Parents' near-universal trust in instruction reinforces that picture from the family side, though families who care about proficiency data should ask the school directly.
Culture
Day-to-day climate reads as warm and orderly: zero suspensions in 2023-24 (the district averages under 1%), and 96% of teachers say the school is safe — meaningfully above the 80% district norm. One number gives pause: while 99% of parents trust the principal, only 65% of teachers do — a 34-point gap that suggests some friction between staff and leadership behind the scenes. The teacher-survey base is also small (16 responses), so these signals should be read as a starting point rather than a verdict.
Community
The school's own demographic breakdown isn't in the data, but the surrounding neighborhood tells a clear story: Concourse-Concourse Village has a median household income around $40,000, a poverty rate of 34%, and only 11% homeownership. The school includes a self-contained special education (SE) classroom alongside grades 2-5, and its unscreened admissions mean it draws from whoever lives nearby — likely a working-class, mostly-renter population with mixed family structures.
Neighborhood
Concourse-Concourse Village is a dense, working-class pocket of the Bronx where the median household income sits near $40,000 and just under 14% of households include children — a smaller share of family households than the city average. About 15% of adult residents hold a bachelor's degree, and roughly 89% of households rent, signaling a neighborhood where many families are stretched financially but anchored in a tight community. The school sits amid a network of well-known charter options, so families here have real choices about which school culture to commit to.
Three subway stations are within about an 8-minute walk: 161 St-Yankee Stadium on the B, D, and 4 lines, plus 149 St-Grand Concourse on the 2 and 5 — solid transit access for families coming from across the South Bronx.
Survey Results
NYC School Survey (2025) · 47 families responded (51% rate)
Discipline
NYSED Student & Educator Database (2023-24)
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is South Bronx Literacy Academy a good school?
- Published quality ratings aren't available for South Bronx Literacy Academy yet on Motley. It's a public school serving grades 2 to 5 in Concourse-Concourse Village.
- What grades does South Bronx Literacy Academy serve?
- South Bronx Literacy Academy serves grades 2 to 5.
- How do students get into South Bronx Literacy Academy?
- South Bronx Literacy Academy admits by application through a random lottery, with no academic screen.
- Is South Bronx Literacy Academy public, charter, or private?
- South Bronx Literacy Academy is a public school in NYC Community School District 7.
- What neighborhood is South Bronx Literacy Academy in?
- South Bronx Literacy Academy is in Concourse-Concourse Village, Bronx.