Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
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.
