Success Academy Charter School - Harlem 2

On paper, this is one of the best-performing elementary schools in the district. ELA proficiency at 92.6% is nearly 39 points above the district average of 53.9%, and math at 95.8% is roughly 45 points above the district's 50.7%. Grade 3 math hit a perfect 100%, and Grade 4 ELA reached 94.3%. The trend tells a clear story: scores climbed steadily from 2016 to a 2018 peak (88.6% ELA, 96.3% math), dipped sharply during the pandemic years (ELA bottomed at 69.6% in 2022), and have rebounded aggressively, with 2025 ELA actually surpassing pre-pandemic highs. Math has been remarkably resilient throughout — never dipping below 84% even in the worst pandemic year.

The day-to-day culture is shaped by the Success Academy playbook — a structured, high-expectations model that tends to produce strong academic outcomes but doesn't always show up well in traditional engagement metrics. Average daily attendance of 91.8% is above the district average of 88.6%, which is a positive signal. However, chronic absenteeism sits at 68.2%, meaning more than two-thirds of enrolled students miss 10% or more of school days — a figure parents should ask about directly. The family survey response rate was just 1% (2 responses), so there's essentially no parent voice in the official data to interpret. Without teacher survey numbers or a suspension rate in this profile, the picture of trust, safety, and discipline is incomplete.

The student body is 60% Black and 35% Hispanic, with small percentages of Asian, white, multiracial, and Native American students — closely mirroring the demographics of East Harlem (North) itself. About 87% of students qualify as high economic need, and 17% have IEPs. The school serves 438 students across K-4 plus a self-contained special education class, with average class sizes around 19.

East Harlem (North) is a working-class, predominantly Latino and Black neighborhood where the median household income is $36,709, about a third of residents live below the poverty line, and just under 11% of households have children under 18. Homeownership is rare (8%), and the median home value of roughly $676,000 reflects a tight, increasingly competitive housing market. About 30% of neighborhood adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

The 125 St station on the 4, 5, and 6 lines is the most convenient — about a 4-minute walk. The 116 St 6 stop is roughly 12 minutes on foot, and the 138 St-Grand Concourse station (4 and 5) is about 13 minutes away.