Original Research by School Decision on Explore Empower Charter School
Explore Empower Charter School is a kindergarten-through-eighth-grade charter district operating in Kings County, with an enrollment of just over four hundred students. The school serves a predominantly Black student body, with a meaningful share of American Indian and Alaska Native students and smaller populations of Hispanic and Asian students. No data on free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility or the share of students with IEPs or English learner status was available.
The charter recently underwent significant institutional change. A leadership transition moved the network from a co-leadership structure to a single chief executive officer, following a national search and internal promotion. Alongside this shift, the Explore Schools network consolidated schools across its Central Brooklyn footprint, a strategic restructuring that affected the organizational landscape during the recent charter term. For families considering enrollment, the renewal of the school's SUNY charter through the 2028-29 school year provides multi-year stability and assurance that the K-8 program will continue operating.
In mathematics instruction, the network made a deliberate pedagogical shift. During the 2023-24 school year, the Explore network re-sequenced its mathematics curriculum to introduce certain concepts earlier and better align the progression of learning to students' developmental stages. The network also audited its curricular programs more broadly for alignment. This curriculum work reflects the school's effort to refine how and when students encounter mathematical ideas.
State assessment data, which would show proficiency in English Language Arts and mathematics, was not available for this entity. This gap is typical of smaller charter districts where enrollment in tested grades may be below reporting thresholds or where data has not yet been published. A parent interested in the school's academic performance may want to ask the school directly about recent testing results and how students have performed relative to the network's Accountability Plan goals. The SUNY Charter Schools Institute reported during the recent renewal process that the school met or came close to its ELA and mathematics goals throughout the charter term, suggesting steady academic performance, though the specific results are not displayed here.
Among Kings County's districts, the school's chronic absenteeism rate falls above the midpoint, meaning attendance challenges are somewhat more pronounced than at the typical county district. Per-pupil spending sits in the middle-to-upper range for the county, reflecting the school's resource allocation within the broader district landscape.
State assessment proficiency data and graduation rates are not available, either because the school's grade band does not yet include students tested at state levels or because results have not been reported for this entity. The school serves through eighth grade, so a high school graduation rate does not apply. For parents evaluating academic progress, direct conversation with school leadership about how the recent curriculum changes are showing up in student work and learning outcomes would be a natural next step.
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