The top reported proficiency rate is 47% in Social studies. The lowest is 38% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Jhs 131 Albert Einstein
JHS 131 Albert Einstein is a regular public middle school serving grades six through eight in the Bronx. The school sits in a neighborhood that is both densely urban and, within that context, diverse in its built form. The Bronx itself has a mix of textures: apartment-lined corridors shift to single-family homes, commercial avenues give way to wooded slopes, and the borough's waterfront edges anchor quieter residential enclaves alongside dense urban centers. The school's location on Bolton Avenue places it within this varied landscape, in a borough that is currently in a strong growth phase, with substantial investment in affordable housing development and infrastructure expansion, though transit access is improving with planned Metro-North expansion.
The school is small for its grade band, serving roughly three hundred students across the three middle grades. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a significant Black enrollment and smaller Asian, white, and multiracial populations. About nine in every ten students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a very low-income community.
Academic performance at JHS 131 is below proficiency on state measures. On the most recent New York State tests, the school's overall proficiency across tested subjects stands above the midpoint among districts in Bronx County, but the raw numbers show a consistent pattern of students not meeting state standards. In mathematics, about one in four sixth graders scored at proficient levels, with performance improving in seventh and eighth grade to just under half the students. In English language arts, patterns are similar: about one in three sixth graders proficient, improving to about four in ten in eighth grade. Science proficiency for eighth graders is comparable to language arts. A substantial share of tested students participated in the assessments, indicating the school is capturing results from its enrollment, but the proficiency levels are modest. State testing data for earlier years was not available to assess whether these results represent improvement, decline, or stability.
The school does not report data on special education enrollment or English learner population, so a parent would want to ask the school directly about the scope of these services if that is relevant to their student.
District 8, which oversees this school, has experienced sustained enrollment decline since the late 2010s, driven by fewer school-aged residents moving to the neighborhood and by students choosing charter schools, leaving the district with excess seats. At the same time, the district has implemented districtwide curriculum mandates in reading and math, most recently extending the NYC Reads and NYC Solves programs to middle schools beginning fall 2025. This means the math curriculum at JHS 131 has shifted to Amplify Desmos Math, and reading instruction has been standardized as well. Families have also gained expanded choice under new city admissions rules: middle school applications are no longer confined to the district, and high school applicants can now apply to an unlimited number of schools rather than a prior cap.
The Bronx housing market is in recovery, with home values above the state benchmark and rents rising at a measured pace. The neighborhood's affordability compared to citywide levels remains a relevant context for families considering schools and housing together, though prices have been climbing.
For a family weighing JHS 131, the school offers a neighborhood-based middle grades experience in a community with significant investment and growth on the horizon. The student body reflects a low-income, predominantly Hispanic neighborhood. Academic proficiency is below state standards across subjects, and a parent may want to look further into what instructional support the school provides and how it is working to raise achievement, especially for students not yet meeting grade-level benchmarks. The new district curriculum mandates are in place, and the broader admissions landscape has opened more options for students looking beyond the immediate school zone.
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