Urban Scholars Community School

Urban Scholars has pulled off one of the steeper academic turnarounds in the South Bronx. In 2016, just 14% of students met ELA standards and 12.6% met math standards; by 2025 those numbers had climbed to 50% and 51.6% respectively, putting the school above the District 12 average of roughly 44.6% in ELA and 43.3% in math. The growth wasn't perfectly linear — there was a dip in 2022, likely pandemic-related — but the direction has been consistently upward since. Math performance at the third-grade level (53.8%) is a particular strength, and fifth-graders are reaching 61.7% proficiency in ELA, suggesting the gains compound as students move through the school.

The day-to-day feel here leans warm and tightly connected. Parent-teacher trust sits at 95% and parent-principal trust at 95%, both well above district norms, and teacher-rated instructional quality is 97% — the highest in the peer group and far above the district average of 88%. Teachers also report strong collegial trust (83%), suggesting a staff that works well together. Discipline is essentially a non-issue: Urban Scholars has reported zero suspensions for three consecutive years, well below the district average suspension rate of 0.42%. Teacher-reported safety (84%) matches the district average, so the building feels stable if not exceptional on that front.

Urban Scholars serves a student body that closely mirrors its neighborhood: 60% Hispanic and 36% Black, with small Asian, multiracial, White, and Native American populations. The school's economic need index of 93.6% means nearly every student comes from a low-income household, consistent with the surrounding Morrisania census tract where the median household income is just over $33,000 and over a third of residents live in poverty. About 22% of students have an IEP, somewhat above the citywide average. Family engagement on surveys is exceptionally high — an 85% response rate on the family survey, with 250 families weighing in — far higher than most schools manage.

Morrisania is a working-class, family-rooted stretch of the South Bronx where median household income sits around $33,000 and over a third of residents live below the poverty line. Homeownership is very low (under 9%), meaning most families rent, and just 14.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree. The 11.5% share of households with children is lower than many NYC neighborhoods, but the families who do live here tend to be deeply connected to local schools like Urban Scholars. Median home values around $503,718 reflect the broader borough market more than this specific pocket.

The school is reachable on foot from three nearby 2/5 line stations: Intervale Avenue, Simpson Street, and Freeman Street, each about a 9 to 10-minute walk. Most families in the area get around on foot or by bus rather than by car.