The Children's School

The Children's School outperforms its district on both major measures: 69% ELA proficiency versus a District 15 average of about 65%, and 70% math proficiency versus a district average near 63%. The overall quality score of 2.78 out of 4 sits comfortably above the district's 2.58. Math has been the steadier story — climbing from 60% in 2016 to 70% in 2025, with a notable jump in the last year. ELA has been bumpier, with a high-water mark of 81% in 2019 and a dip to 55% in 2017, settling into the mid-to-high 60s in recent years. By grade, the fifth-graders are the math standouts at 75% proficiency, while fourth-graders do best in ELA at 75%.

The parent-facing climate is unusually warm: 96% satisfaction, 98% parent-teacher trust, and a perfect 100% on strong relationships between adults and kids. Zero suspensions is a meaningful data point — the school is keeping kids in classrooms rather than removing them. But the teacher-side numbers tell a more uneven story. Teachers rate their own instruction quality at 69%, well below the district's 89% average, and trust in school leadership sits at 70%. Teacher-reported safety is 92%, slightly under the district's 97%. Attendance is essentially at the district average (93.3% versus 93.5%), but chronic absenteeism affects 81% of students — a striking figure that suggests many families are pulling kids out for travel, illness, or other reasons even as the parent satisfaction scores stay sky-high. The small teacher survey sample (10 responses) is worth keeping in mind when weighing those numbers.

The student body mirrors the neighborhood in important ways. Chronic absenteeism data shows white and multiracial families at particularly high rates (89% and 96% respectively), while Hispanic and Asian students are markedly lower (66% each). This is consistent with a Carroll Gardens-Cobble Hill school where affluent, often white families have the schedules and resources to travel during the school year. Twenty percent of neighborhood households have children, the median household income tops $139,000, and two-thirds of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher — a population that tends to be vocal, informed, and involved.

Carroll Gardens-Cobble Hill-Gowanus-Red Hook is one of Brooklyn's wealthiest family neighborhoods — median household income around $140,000, median home value over $1.7 million, and a 68% college-educated adult population. One in five households has children, which is meaningfully above the citywide average. The mix of brownstones, townhouses, and the ongoing Gowanus redevelopment gives the area a mix of established family blocks and newer construction.

Most families reach the school on foot. Union Street on the R train is about a three-minute walk, and the 4 Av-9 St station (R, F, and G lines) is an eight- to ten-minute walk away — enough variety that commuters and locals alike have options.