Ps 134 Henrietta Szold, New York NY

Original Research by School Decision on Ps 134 Henrietta Szold

PS 134 Henrietta Szold is a small, early-grade public school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Lower Manhattan's Lower East Side. It sits on East Broadway in a dense, mixed-use neighborhood where schools are embedded in city blocks rather than set apart on campuses. The surrounding area is walkable, transit-rich, and shaped by small buildings interspersed with taller ones, active street life, and a blend of residential and ground-floor commercial use.

The school enrolls a small student body with economic and demographic characteristics that reflect its neighborhood. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating substantial economic need. The enrollment is majority Hispanic, with meaningful shares of Black, Asian, and other students; the school is racially and ethnically diverse. Data on English learners and students with disabilities was not available, so a parent interested in those populations may want to contact the school directly.

Academic performance across tested grades shows consistent challenges. In math, third-graders tested at a level well below proficiency, as did fifth graders, whose proficiency was among the lowest reported. Fourth graders performed somewhat better, though still below the midpoint expected across the state. In English language arts, the pattern is similar: third- and fifth-graders showed very low proficiency, while fourth graders performed closer to half of students meeting the standard. Fifth-grade science proficiency was equally low. Positioned against all districts in New York County, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile. This is a meaningful concern. A parent considering this school should understand that academic support and intervention are areas to explore in depth with school staff.

The school carries no other identified programmatic data in standard public reporting, so information about specialized offerings, intervention approaches, or enrichment is limited to what the school itself publishes. Because the school serves only grades pre-K through 5, it does not have a graduation rate or transition data typical of high schools.

District 1, the school's parent district, is one of only three New York City districts with no zoned elementary schools. Every family must navigate a school choice process to gain admission. The district adopted a Diversity in Admissions priority citywide, setting aside seats by family income and other underrepresented-group criteria. This means access to PS 134 depends on the application and lottery process, not on where a family lives. The district also sits within a city that is in sustained housing growth, with active development along commercial corridors and a real estate market in which median home values are well above state and national benchmarks. Rent is rising alongside home values.

For families considering this school, the core question is whether the academic proficiency levels and the need to navigate school choice align with their situation and expectations. The school's location in a walkable, transit-served neighborhood and its small size are assets for some families. The economic need of the student body is significant. Academic outcomes warrant serious conversation with school leadership about what supports are in place, what the trajectory has been, and how the school approaches instruction in reading and math.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 319%

School 19% · District 68% · ▼ 49 pts below district

▼ 40 pts below state median · ▼ 39 pts below county median

Grade 447%

School 47% · District 67% · ▼ 20 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 57%

School 7% · District 58% · ▼ 51 pts below district

▼ 45 pts below state median · ▼ 49 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 320%

School 20% · District 67% · ▼ 47 pts below district

▼ 32 pts below state median · ▼ 36 pts below county median

Grade 450%

School 50% · District 68% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Grade 57%

School 7% · District 66% · ▼ 59 pts below district

▼ 48 pts below state median · ▼ 58 pts below county median

Science

Grade 57%

School 7% · District 49% · ▼ 42 pts below district

▼ 35 pts below state median · ▼ 39 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 560%

School 60% · district not reported

▼ 31 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

This schoolNEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT # 1, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income56%Higher-income0%56 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income58%Higher-income20%38 pp gap