The top reported proficiency rate is 26% in English language arts. The lowest is 13% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Longwood Academy of Discovery (the)
Longwood Academy of Discovery is a public elementary school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in the South Bronx, part of NYC Geographic District 8. The school enrolls a student body that is almost entirely low-income and composed primarily of Hispanic and Black students. Substantially all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school is small enough that it operates just a handful of classes per grade level, with the largest grades (fourth and fifth) at about the size you would expect for the grade band in the city.
The school's state test results show students struggling across both math and literacy. In third grade, roughly a fifth of students met proficiency in math and a third in English language arts. Fourth grade was the school's strongest grade, with roughly a third proficient in math and just under a quarter in ELA. Fifth grade dropped sharply: roughly one in ten students met proficiency in math, one in five in ELA, and one in eight in science. These scores place the school in the bottom quartile of schools against which state assessment data can be compared in Bronx County. The school does achieve high participation rates on assessments, suggesting good test-day engagement, though a parent may want to look into further what support structures the school has for students who are not yet meeting grade-level benchmarks.
District 8, which includes Longwood Academy, underwent a significant curriculum shift when the city mandated reading and math instruction follow approved programs starting in September 2024. All elementary schools in the district now teach from one of three approved literacy curriculums, and beginning September 2025, middle schools moved to a standardized math curriculum as well. This means families should ask the school specifically what reading program is now in use and how instruction has shifted.
The broader Bronx context matters for understanding enrollment patterns. The Bronx is in an active growth phase with major affordable housing development underway across neighborhoods like Fordham, Melrose, and the waterfront. Yet District 8 itself has experienced sustained enrollment decline over the past several years as both the school-aged population in the district's zone has fallen and more families have opted for charter schools. This has left the district with surplus capacity. For families considering whether to enroll in a traditional public school like Longwood Academy versus seeking alternatives, the enrollment context and the district's structural challenges are part of the equation.
The school's location in the South Bronx places it within a neighborhood that is walkable and served by transit, with subway lines nearby and the broader civic infrastructure of the Bronx—parks, libraries, medical centers anchored by Montefiore—within reach. Housing in the area is appreciating as development picks up. That economic context can matter for families choosing neighborhoods.
A parent weighing Longwood Academy should understand that the school serves students with very high poverty concentrations and that its state test results reflect significant academic gaps. The recent curriculum mandates represent a shift the district is making district-wide to improve literacy and math outcomes, but Longwood Academy's performance to date suggests those supports are still taking hold. This is the kind of school where family engagement, tutoring, and clear communication with teachers about what a child needs becomes especially important. A parent should talk directly with the school about what interventions it has in place for students below grade level and how the new reading curriculum is being implemented in practice.
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