South Bronx Preparatory: A College Board School

ELA proficiency sits at 36.9% and math at 31.7%, both well below the District 7 averages of about 51% and 49%. Science is a relative bright spot at 54.5%. The longer arc is more interesting than the latest snapshot: ELA rose from 21.8% in 2016 to a 46.7% peak in 2022 before sliding back, and math has been genuinely volatile — including a 56.8% spike in 2023 followed by a drop to 26.5% in 2024 and a partial bounce to 31.7%. Both subjects are well off their recent highs, even though they remain meaningfully above where the school stood a decade ago.

The day-to-day feel is collaborative and trusting, even if daily attendance is a real headwind. About 76% of students are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), a citywide pattern post-COVID but a serious one here — though the school's overall attendance rate of 92.1% is slightly above the district average. The upside is striking: zero suspensions, 97% of teachers rating instruction highly (well above the district 88%), and parent-principal trust at 94%. With only 283 family survey responses and a 48% response rate, the parent voice is strong among those who reply.

South Bronx Prep's student body mirrors the Mott Haven-Port Morris neighborhood around it: 72% Hispanic, 25% Black, and an economic need index of 92.8% — among the highest in the city. One in four students has an IEP, ELL support and Spanish language programming are built into the day, and the diversity index of 40% reflects a school where two large groups dominate rather than a fully mixed enrollment. The school sits firmly inside its community, serving families who themselves are largely working-class renters in one of the city's poorest census tracts.

Mott Haven-Port Morris is a working-class, predominantly renter neighborhood where the median household income is around $29,000, four in ten residents live below the poverty line, and only about 6% of households own their homes. Just over 12% of adults have a bachelor's degree, and only 12% of households include children — a relatively low share for New York City. The high median home value reflects how few properties actually trade, not what the typical resident pays. Families who do live here navigate a tight economic landscape with strong transit access.

The school is a quick walk from the 2/5 at 3 Av-149 St (about 5 minutes), with two more 6-train options at 3 Av-138 St and Brook Av (about 8 and 9 minutes on foot).