The Matilda Avenue School

Matilda's ELA proficiency is 44.2% and math is 43%, both well below the district averages of roughly 57% and 56%. The trajectory tells the more important story: scores collapsed to 30% ELA and 21% math in 2022 but have rebounded steadily to this year's levels. Grade 5 students are notably stronger (54% ELA, 50% math) than Grade 3 (40% ELA, 42% math) and Grade 4 (38% ELA, 37% math), suggesting kids who stay through the school make meaningful gains. Still, the overall quality rating of 1.74 out of 4 places this school below most District 11 peers.

The climate numbers here are striking and largely positive. Parent satisfaction is 98% (well above the district's 93% average), and teacher responses show 99-100% trust in leadership, instructional quality, and safety — though with only 19 teachers responding, those numbers should be read with some caution. Zero suspensions over three straight years is rare and points to a calm, well-managed building. The major flag is chronic absenteeism at 63.7%, meaning roughly two-thirds of students miss enough school days to be at academic risk — and the gap is sharp, with 75% of Black students chronically absent compared to 49% of Hispanic students.

Matilda's student body is 53% Black and 33% Hispanic, with smaller Asian, White, and multiracial populations, reflecting a community that mirrors its neighborhood. The school has moderate diversity (65% index) and serves a population where the economic need index of 79% signals significant household poverty. PTA fundraising is just $2 per student per year compared to a district average of $24 — parents give their time and trust (99% parent-principal trust) far more than their money.

Wakefield-Woodlawn is a working- and middle-class northeast Bronx neighborhood where median household income is around $73,000 and about 18% of residents live in poverty. Homeownership is high for the city at 44%, with a median home value just over $554,000, and roughly 16% of households include children — typical of a stable, family-oriented area. Adults in the neighborhood are somewhat less likely than the citywide average to hold a bachelor's degree (30%), and the school serves families from this mixed-income backdrop.

Three subway stations are within walking distance: the Nereid Av (2, 5) and Wakefield-241 St (2) stations are each about a 5-minute walk, and the 233 St (2, 5) station is about 12 minutes away on foot