The Equality Charter School

Math scores at this charter have essentially tripled over eight years — from a dire 25.5% in 2016 to 55.7% now, putting the school essentially neck-and-neck with the district average of 55.6%. That's genuine, measurable progress. ELA is a different story: at 48.6%, it's below the district average of 56.7%, though up substantially from the 29-30% range the school was posting in 2017-2019. The school scores a 2.09 overall compared to the district's 2.25 — so it's not outperforming the district, but it's also not the struggling school its early test scores suggested. Grade-level data shows middle school performing strongest, with 8th grade hitting 55.4% ELA and 61% math.

This is where the school genuinely stands out. Teachers report 100% safety — higher than the district average of 95%. Parent satisfaction hits 96%, and trust between families and teachers (98%) and families and the principal (97%) are remarkably high. Teachers give the same trust back: 96% trust the principal and 94% trust their colleagues. The instruction quality rating of 93% slightly exceeds the district average. HOWEVER, there's a significant catch: chronic absenteeism sits at 71.2%, which is extraordinarily high. Female students miss more school than males (75.7% vs 66.5%), and Black students have the highest chronic absenteeism rate at 77.6%, compared to 53.1% for Hispanic students. Attendance overall is 91.5%, just barely above the district average — so most kids are showing up, but a large subset are falling into patterns of frequent absence.

The school enrolls 631 students in a building that serves grades K through 12. The student body is 59% Black and 37% Hispanic, with minimal Asian (2%), White (1%), Multi-Racial (1%), and Native American (1%) representation. Twenty-five percent of students have IEPs, and the economic need index sits at 71 — meaning most families here are facing significant financial challenges. The diversity index of 49% reflects a relatively homogeneous community in a neighborhood that's also predominantly Black and Hispanic. Average class size is 23.8, essentially matching the district average.

Co-op City is a large, planned residential community in the eastern Bronx known for its dense apartment complexes and relatively affordable housing. The median home value here is surprisingly low at $30,494 (likely reflecting the co-op ownership model), and homeownership sits at 44%. Median household income is $58,565 with a low poverty rate of 10.9% — so this is a working- and middle-class community, not a high-poverty area. The neighborhood scores show moderate safety (59th percentile), decent transit options (62nd percentile), but lower family density (31st percentile) and education orientation (28th percentile). There's an elevated lead exposure rate (15.2%) and asthma rates (75.5 per 1,000) that parents should be aware of.

Co-op City is a car-dependent area — families typically drive or rely on buses to get here, as the neighborhood's transit score suggests limited subway access