Urban Assembly School for the Performing Arts

The academic program pairs college-prep rigor (AP courses) with language supports (ELL, Spanish) and a packed performing arts catalog — a rare combination for a school of this size. Average class size runs at 18.7 students, essentially identical to the district average of 18.8, meaning students aren't getting unusually small cohorts but also aren't lost in crowds. The program's richness score of 89.3/100 is strong for a 327-student school, signaling real breadth in what students can take.

The headline number here is zero suspensions — not a single one reported — which is striking for a high-needs urban high school. The survey picture, though, is more layered: teacher-principal trust sits at 70%, well below district norms, and teacher-rated instruction quality lands at 73% versus the district's 88%. Parent satisfaction (79%) and parent-principal trust (83%) are decent but trail district averages. The day-to-day feel appears orderly and warm on the discipline side, with some friction worth probing on the teacher-leadership axis.

The student body is 51% Black and 45% Hispanic, a near-even division that mirrors West Harlem's demographics and the broader patterns of District 5. About 86.5% of students qualify for economic need, well above citywide norms, and 26% have IEPs, meaning roughly one in four students receives special education services. The diversity index of 48% reflects concentration in two main groups rather than wide racial variety, which is worth knowing if cross-cultural peer exposure matters to your family.

Manhattanville-West Harlem is a working- and middle-class neighborhood where the median household income sits at $44,556 and 26.5% of residents live below the poverty line. Only 8.6% of households include children — on the low side for a residential area — and homeownership is just 5%, so most families rent. About a third of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

The 1 train at 125 St is about a 4-minute walk, the closest option. The A/C/B/D at 125 St is roughly 8 minutes away, and the 1 at 137 St-City College is about 9 minutes. Families have multiple subway lines within a short walk.