At a Glance
A zoned Bronx elementary where dramatic academic gains match deeply engaged families
Best suited for
Families living in the Concourse zoned area who want a stable, deeply-connected neighborhood elementary with a proven track record of academic growth and a strong family-teacher partnership — especially families who value a school where the parent community is genuinely engaged.
Overall Rating
Rating = average of NY State ELA + math proficiency, grades 3–8
Bands are Motley's thresholds on a 0–100 scale, not New York State performance levels.
How this is scored→What stands out
- Dramatic academic turnaround — both ELA and math proficiency have roughly tripled since 2016
- Extraordinarily strong family engagement, with 99% parent-teacher trust and 98% parent satisfaction
- Zero suspensions for three consecutive years
- Above-district math performance at every tested grade level except a notable dip in grade 5
- A 94% parent survey response rate, signaling an unusually connected parent community
Things to consider
- Teacher-reported safety runs at 76%, below the district average of 83% — ask leadership what this reflects in practice
- Chronic absenteeism affects 60% of students, which can disrupt learning continuity even when individual students perform well
- Math proficiency drops sharply in fifth grade (50%), suggesting a possible transition challenge as students prepare for middle school
- Economic need is very high (93.9%), so the school depends on Title I funding and outside resources
- 26% of students have IEPs, so families will want to understand how special education services are staffed and supported
Based on 2025 data
School SummaryDistrict 9
The Family School's overall score of 2.44/4 places it well above the District 9 average of 1.79. The peer schools at the top of the list (Icahn, Success Academy, Bronx Charter for Excellence) are all charters; among zoned public schools in this district, this is one of the strongest elementary options available.
Academics
The trajectory here is the headline story: ELA proficiency went from 20.5% in 2016 to 56.2% in 2025, and math from 22.2% to 66% — gains that are rare in NYC. Both subjects sit well above the District 9 averages (44.8% ELA, 44.7% math). The school's overall rating of 2.44 out of 4 also outpaces the district average of 1.79. Grade-level data shows strong consistency: third-graders hit 72.6% math proficiency and fourth-graders 75.6%, while fifth-grade math drops to 50% — a possible transition-year bump worth asking about.
Culture
The day-to-day feel is warm and family-centered. Ninety-eight percent of parents are satisfied, 99% trust their child's teacher, and 99% trust the principal — all well above district norms. Teachers rate instruction quality at 92% (vs. 90% district) and report strong collegial trust at 89%. The one temperature drop is teacher-reported safety at 76%, below the district average of 83% — worth asking about directly when you visit. Discipline is essentially a non-issue, with zero suspensions across three consecutive school years. Attendance at 89.5% runs slightly below the district's 90.1%, and chronic absenteeism sits at 60%, consistent with citywide post-pandemic patterns.
Community
The school's 415 students are 69% Hispanic and 27% Black, closely mirroring the surrounding Concourse neighborhood where most families rent and earn a median household income around $40,000. The economic need index of 93.9% indicates nearly every student qualifies as low-income, and 26% have IEPs. With a diversity index of 43%, the school is less racially mixed than many NYC schools — it's primarily a Black and Latino zoned school serving its immediate neighborhood.
Neighborhood
Concourse-Concourse Village is a working-class Bronx neighborhood where 34% of residents live below the poverty line and only about 14% of households include children, making this zoned school a real hub for local families. Median home values hover around $350,000 but homeownership is rare at just 11%, meaning most families rent. Roughly 16% of adults hold a bachelor's degree. The block is residential and densely populated, with subway access within a short walk in several directions.
Families have easy access to the B and D at 167 St (about a 3-minute walk), the 4 at 167 St (about 7 minutes), or the 4 at 170 St (about a 12-minute walk).
Academic Performance
ELA Proficiency
Students scoring proficient or above on the NY State ELA exam.
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Math Proficiency
Students scoring proficient or above on the NY State Math exam.
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Historical Trends
The dashed line marks 2023, when New York changed its grades 3–8 state tests. Scores before and after it aren’t directly comparable.
2020–2021 data unavailable due to COVID-19
Source: NYC DOE School Quality Reports
Survey Results
NYC School Survey (2025) · 380 families responded (94% rate)
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Discipline
NYSED Student & Educator Database (2023-24)
Economic Need & Special Populations
How to get in, step by step
Pre-K
The Family School 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 Family School has an attendance zone. At elementary level, in-zone students get a guaranteed seat. Every family still applies on MySchools: the application confirms the zoned seat, and ranking other schools doesn't cost you it.
Kindergarten application
- Opens
- Wed, Dec 9
- Closes
- Fri, Jan 22
- Offers
- Tue, Mar 30
The DOE’s published dates.
- 1Check that your address is inside the zone — zones change, so confirm it before you sign a lease.
- 2Apply during the kindergarten application, even with a zoned seat.
- 3Rank this school along with 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 Family School a good school?
- On Motley, The Family School earns an overall rating of 61/100 — the average of the school's New York State ELA and math proficiency, grades 3–8, shown out of 100. Its state test results run above the District 9 average.
- What grades does The Family School serve?
- The Family School serves grades Pre-K to 5.
- How do students get into The Family School?
- The Family School admits by zone — children who live in its attendance zone get a guaranteed seat.
- Is The Family School public, charter, or private?
- The Family School is a public school in NYC Community School District 9.
- What neighborhood is The Family School in?
- The Family School is in Concourse-Concourse Village, Bronx.