Ps 28 Wright Brothers, New York NY

Original Research by School Decision on Ps 28 Wright Brothers

PS 28 Wright Brothers is a small public elementary school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in upper Manhattan. It sits in a dense, transit-connected neighborhood typical of the city, where schools are woven into the street grid rather than set apart on campuses. The building itself is embedded in the block structure at West 155th Street.

The school enrolls a mostly Hispanic student body with a substantial share of Black and Asian students. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic reality of the neighborhood. Pre-kindergarten through fifth grade are all present, with fairly balanced class sizes across the grades.

On state assessments in math and English language arts, Wright Brothers' proficiency falls in the bottom quartile among the city's districts. In math, students across grades three, four, and five show roughly equal performance, hovering around the midpoint range. In English language arts, proficiency is somewhat lower, particularly in third grade. Science results, available only for fifth grade, show a notable drop: fewer than one in four students reached proficiency. These results suggest the school faces headwinds in core academics and may want to examine instruction in both reading and science particularly. The reading curriculum, like all NYC elementary schools, shifted in 2024 to one of three mandated phonics-based programs with explicit daily phonics instruction, replacing the balanced-literacy approach used previously; a parent may want to ask the school which program they adopted and how the transition has unfolded for students.

The district that serves this school, Geographic District 6, has experienced declining enrollment driven by fewer resident families and rising charter enrollment. The district has consolidated schools and re-sited buildings as leases expired. One recent change: Bill Lynch, a progressive K-5 school in the district, expanded to become a K-8 option starting in 2024-25, creating a new middle school pathway for families who want to stay in the same school. This does not affect Wright Brothers directly but reflects how the district is reshaping to address shifting demand.

Housing in the neighborhood is relatively affordable for New York City, and the area is highly walkable with extensive subway access, making it accessible to families working elsewhere in the city. The neighborhood itself blends residential and mixed-use buildings with active street life, reflecting the standard urban fabric of upper Manhattan.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 344%

School 44% · District 53% · ▼ 9 pts below district

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

Grade 449%

School 49% · District 53% · ▼ 4 pts below district

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

Grade 544%

School 44% · District 53% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 334%

School 34% · District 47% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 22 pts below county median

Grade 443%

School 43% · District 48% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 544%

School 44% · District 54% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

Science

Grade 523%

School 23% · District 41% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 23 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 553%

School 53% · district not reported

▼ 39 pts below state median · ▼ 26 pts below county median

This schoolNEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT # 6, 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 4Lower-income44%Higher-income40%4 pp gap