Ps 64 Robert Simon, New York NY - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Ps 64 Robert Simon

PS 64 Robert Simon is a small public elementary school on the Lower East Side serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. The school enrolls a substantial share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic composition of the surrounding neighborhood. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with smaller shares of Black, White, Asian, and multiracial students. Specific counts for students with disabilities and English learners were not available in the data.

The school sits in the heart of a dense, mixed-use urban neighborhood where residential space integrates with retail and offices, streets support high pedestrian traffic, and public transit is extensive. The surrounding area is a walkable, car-light environment where families rely on the subway and local streets rather than personal vehicles.

State testing results from the most recent year show mixed performance across grades and subjects. In mathematics, third grade students achieved proficiency at a moderate level, while fourth and fifth grade results were substantially lower, with fifth grade showing proficiency below the floor. English language arts results follow a similar pattern: third grade at a moderate level, with fourth and fifth grades below that. Science proficiency in fifth grade was very low. These results fall into the bottom quartile when compared against other elementary schools in New York County, and a parent may want to discuss with the school what supports are in place for students across grade levels and what factors the school identifies as affecting these outcomes.

District 1, which encompasses the Lower East Side and East Village, operates under a distinctive structure: it has no zoned elementary or middle schools, so families must participate in a school choice process to gain admission. The entire district has adopted the Diversity in Admissions priority, which sets aside seats based on family income and other underrepresented-group criteria, making this a deliberate integration approach that shapes the peer environment at every school in the district. For a family interested in PS 64, this means admission depends on the application process rather than residence alone.

Housing values and rents in the surrounding neighborhood are substantially above the state benchmark, reflecting the desirability and gentrification patterns of the Lower East Side. The area has experienced sustained residential growth as part of the city's broader housing expansion, though the neighborhood itself has long been densely developed. For families seeking an urban setting with high walkability and access to public transit, the location is a defining characteristic. For families weighing affordability, the surrounding housing market presents a real constraint.

The school operates within the context of New York State's recent class size law, which requires NYC schools to phase in smaller class caps starting in fall 2023, with full compliance by 2027-28. This regulation affects building capacity and staffing across all District 1 schools, including PS 64.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 369%

School 69% · District 68% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Grade 447%

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

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

Grade 514%

School 14% · District 58% · ▼ 43 pts below district

▼ 37 pts below state median · ▼ 41 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 347%

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

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 439%

School 39% · District 68% · ▼ 30 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

Grade 538%

School 38% · District 66% · ▼ 28 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 27 pts below county median

Science

Grade 55%

School 5% · District 49% · ▼ 44 pts below district

▼ 37 pts below state median · ▼ 41 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 581%

School 81% · district not reported

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▲ 2 pts above 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-income43%Higher-income31%12 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income36%Higher-income30%6 pp gap