Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
What this means: On the NYS Assessments, New York's statewide test, about 38 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 41 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all New York schools, those numbers are about 58 and 57. Reading and writing scores are up about 6 points since 2023, while math scores are up about 6 points.
What this means: About 38% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 39% typical for New York schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among New York's top nor bottom 10%.
Located at 1220 GERARD AVE, in BRONX, New York, PS/IS 218 RAFAEL HERNANDEZ DUAL LANGUAGE MAGNET SCHOOL is a roomy elementary-level community that works with 807 students (grades K through 8), part of NEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT # 9. Enrollment runs roughly 82% larger than the state mean of about 443.
Within NEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT # 9, which oversees 70 schools and 23,786 students, PS/IS 218 RAFAEL HERNANDEZ DUAL LANGUAGE MAGNET SCHOOL is one campus in the system.
Demographically, PS/IS 218 RAFAEL HERNANDEZ DUAL LANGUAGE MAGNET SCHOOL records that nearly all students (91%) are Hispanic. Beyond that, the school reports 5% Black. That is considerably more Hispanic than the county at large, where the share is closer to 55%.
In terms of school funding signals, The school reports having 79 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 10.2:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 12.8:1, putting PS/IS 218 RAFAEL HERNANDEZ DUAL LANGUAGE MAGNET SCHOOL tighter than the state norm the norm. Around 97% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment.
On a demographically-adjusted basis, PS/IS 218 RAFAEL HERNANDEZ DUAL LANGUAGE MAGNET SCHOOL tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 39.3% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 38.2%.
Zooming out to the county, ACS estimates for Bronx County put median household earnings sit near $48,676, 22% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 23%. Across Bronx County's 472 public schools (combined enrollment of about 202,028 students), PS/IS 218 RAFAEL HERNANDEZ DUAL LANGUAGE MAGNET SCHOOL is one campus in the mix.
The closest other public school is DREAM CHARTER SCHOOL HIGHBRIDGE, roughly 0.1 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Among the 8 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), PS/IS 218 RAFAEL HERNANDEZ DUAL LANGUAGE MAGNET SCHOOL ranks 6th on composite proficiency, behind the local average of 45.9%.
PS/IS 218 RAFAEL HERNANDEZ DUAL LANGUAGE MAGNET SCHOOL operates from an inner-city location.
Trend over the last 7 years. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at PS/IS 218 RAFAEL HERNANDEZ DUAL LANGUAGE MAGNET SCHOOL has decreased 20%, going from 1,012 students in 2018 to 807 in 2025. Class-load math has narrowed: from 14.4:1 in 2018 to 10.2:1 in 2025.
In the discussion threads here, the feed for PS/IS 218 RAFAEL HERNANDEZ DUAL LANGUAGE MAGNET SCHOOL typically covers fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.
