Success Academy Charter School - Union Square

This is an academically exceptional school by any measure. ELA proficiency of 94.2% and math proficiency of 96.3% both dramatically outpace District 2 averages of 73.2% and 72.5%, respectively. The overall quality score of 3.81 out of 4 also towers over the district average of 2.91. Test scores have been consistently strong for nearly a decade, with ELA dipping modestly to 88.5% in 2024 before rebounding sharply to 94.2% in 2025. Performance is strong across every tested grade, from third through eighth, with seventh-graders hitting 98.3% in both ELA and math.

Day-to-day attendance is solid at 93.9%, beating the district average of about 92%, suggesting students show up and families are engaged. However, the family survey essentially yielded no usable data — a 0% response rate with only two respondents — so it's hard to draw conclusions about parent satisfaction or trust from this source. With no peer comparison available for safety or trust scores from families, parents will need to rely on visits, conversations with other families, and the school's track record rather than survey numbers.

The 971-student body is highly diverse, with no single group dominating: Asian students make up 34%, Hispanic 25%, White 22%, Black 13%, and Multi-Racial 5%, giving a diversity index of 84%. This mix is notably more balanced than the surrounding Gramercy neighborhood, where the median household income is $153,847 and 83% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The economic need index of 47.7 reflects a middle-tier economic profile, suggesting the school draws from well beyond its immediate ZIP code through the charter lottery.

Gramercy is one of Manhattan's wealthier, more educated enclaves, with a median household income of $153,847 and a poverty rate of just 10.8%. Only about 10% of households include children, so the school draws a lot of families who commute in. Eighty-three percent of neighborhood adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and homeownership sits at nearly 40% — a higher rate than most Manhattan neighborhoods. The area is dense with services and amenities, and getting here is straightforward from almost anywhere in the boroughs.

Exceptionally well-connected — 3 Av (L) is about a four-minute walk, and 14 St-Union Sq is also about four minutes away, served by the 4, 5, 6 and the N, Q, R, W lines.