At a Glance
A small PK-1 foundation school where nearly every family reports feeling connected
Best suited for
Families with very young kids who want a small, relationship-driven start to elementary school and are prepared to navigate a second-grade transition afterward
What stands out
- 100% of surveyed families report strong relationships with teachers — a rare and notable figure
- 78% family survey response rate signals an unusually engaged parent community
- PK-1 focus allows the school to concentrate entirely on early childhood foundations
- Teacher instruction quality (94%) sits well above the district average
- High trust across the board — between parents and teachers, parents and the principal, and among the teaching staff
Things to consider
- The school only goes through first grade, so families will need to plan a transition to a new school for second grade
- With only 8 teachers on staff, this is a very small school — which is a feature for some families but limits program breadth
- No standardized test data exists yet, so academic performance comparisons with other schools aren't possible
- The surrounding neighborhood has relatively few families with children, so the school may draw from beyond its immediate area
Based on 2025 data
School SummaryDistrict 15
District 15 in Brooklyn includes some of the city's most celebrated elementary schools — P.S. 321, P.S. 172, and Success Academy Cobble Hill all sit in or near this neighborhood. The Elizabeth Jennings School occupies a different niche as a PK-1 foundation school rather than a K-5, so direct academic comparisons aren't quite apples-to-apples, but it shares a district with schools scoring in the 90s out of 100.
Academics
Because this school serves only pre-K, kindergarten, and first grade, there are no state ELA or math proficiency scores to report — children here aren't old enough for those assessments yet. What the data does show is instructional quality: 94% of teachers rate instruction positively, well above the District 15 average of 89%. Combined with universal reports of strong teacher-family relationships, the academic picture is one of a school focused on building early foundations through engaged teaching rather than measurable outcomes.
Culture
This is a notably trusting community. Parent-teacher trust sits at 96% and parent-principal trust at 97%, both strong. Teachers report 95% trust in leadership and 87% collegial trust among peers. The day-to-day feel is warm and tight-knit, with the entire school essentially aligned around its youngest learners. One thing parents should know: only 8 teachers responded to the staff survey, which reflects how small the school is rather than any issue — at this size, every voice carries real weight, but the sample is thin.
Community
Families here are engaged — the 78% family survey response rate is high and signals a parent body that shows up. The surrounding neighborhood is wealthy and highly educated, with a median household income of $150,272 and 73% of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher. Only about 15% of neighborhood households include children, which is unusually low and suggests the school likely draws some families from outside the immediate census area.
Neighborhood
The school sits in Downtown Brooklyn-DUMBO-Boerum Hill, one of the borough's wealthiest and most transit-connected neighborhoods. The median home value tops $1.4 million and most residents are renters, reflecting the area's dense urban character and proximity to Manhattan. It's an educated, affluent area where only about 15% of households include children — meaning the school serves a neighborhood with relatively few young families overall.
Families have excellent subway access. The Nevins St station (2, 3, 4, 5 trains) is about a 3-minute walk, and Atlantic Av-Barclays Center is roughly 4 minutes away on the 2, 3, 4, 5 lines or 5 minutes on the D, N, R lines.
Survey Results
NYC School Survey (2025) · 87 families responded (78% rate)
How to get in, step by step
Pre-K
The Elizabeth Jennings School for Bold Explorers also has Pre-K classes. They're a separate application from kindergarten, made on MySchools.
Pre-K application
Applications typically open in the winter and close in the spring, with offers in late spring; the city announces exact dates each year.
Kindergarten
The Elizabeth Jennings School for Bold Explorers doesn't have an attendance zone of its own, so living nearby doesn't guarantee a seat here. Families apply on MySchools, and seats go to the school's priority groups first, then by random lottery.
Kindergarten application
- Opens
- Wed, Dec 9
- Closes
- Fri, Jan 22
- Offers
- Tue, Mar 30
The DOE’s published dates.
- 1Apply on MySchools during the kindergarten application.
- 2Rank this school with your zoned school, if you have one, and any others you'd take — in true preference order.
Open houses and tours
We haven’t seen open-house dates for this school yet.
From the MySchools admissions calendar, checked weekly.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is The Elizabeth Jennings School for Bold Explorers a good school?
- Published quality ratings aren't available for The Elizabeth Jennings School for Bold Explorers yet on Motley. It's a public school serving grades Pre-K to 1 in Downtown Brooklyn-DUMBO-Boerum Hill.
- What grades does The Elizabeth Jennings School for Bold Explorers serve?
- The Elizabeth Jennings School for Bold Explorers serves grades Pre-K to 1.
- Is The Elizabeth Jennings School for Bold Explorers public, charter, or private?
- The Elizabeth Jennings School for Bold Explorers is a public school in NYC Community School District 15.
- What neighborhood is The Elizabeth Jennings School for Bold Explorers in?
- The Elizabeth Jennings School for Bold Explorers is in Downtown Brooklyn-DUMBO-Boerum Hill, Brooklyn.