St. HOPE Leadership Academy Charter School

Math proficiency at 53.3% now exceeds the district average of 50.7%, a significant achievement for a school where 93.7% of students face economic hardship. However, ELA proficiency at 39.4% remains below the district average of 53.9%, indicating reading and writing skills are an area for growth. The school's overall score of 1.85/4 falls below the district average of 2.09. Looking at grade-level performance, 8th graders are thriving in math (62.7%), while 6th graders are still building foundational skills (41% math, 27.5% ELA).

The survey data tells a striking story: families love this school (96% satisfaction, 98% trust in the principal), and teachers report high confidence in leadership (93%). Instruction quality scores 93%, outpacing the district average of 88%. However, chronic absenteeism at 48.7% is a serious concern — more than double the rate of many peer schools. Male students are particularly affected (60.6% chronic absence vs. 37.9% for females). The high family survey response rate (70%) suggests engaged parents, but getting kids to school consistently remains the school's biggest challenge.

With 264 students in grades 6-8, this is a small-to-medium middle school. The student body is predominantly Black (56%) and Hispanic (37%), reflecting the surrounding Harlem neighborhood. A quarter of students have IEPs, and nearly all students (93.7%) come from economically disadvantaged households — higher than most peer schools. The diversity index of 52% is moderate, with the school serving a relatively homogeneous community in terms of race/ethnicity compared to more diverse Manhattan schools.

Harlem (North) is a densely populated, transit-rich neighborhood with excellent subway access (95.79 percentile) and high family density. However, it scores very low on safety indicators (1.53 percentile) and has significant environmental health concerns, including elevated asthma rates and lead exposure risks. The median household income of $54,704 is below the citywide average, and only 12.6% of residents own homes — most rent. The area has a strong education orientation (65.9 percentile), suggesting families here value schools.

The neighborhood's high transit score means many families rely on subway and bus routes. The area is walkable, but parents should factor in commute times — Harlem is well-connected but can feel far from other Manhattan neighborhoods.