South Bronx International Middle School, Bronx NY

Original Research by School Decision on South Bronx International Middle School

South Bronx International Middle School serves grades six through eight in the Mott Haven section of the South Bronx, at the intersection of Teller Avenue and a neighborhood that is experiencing significant residential growth and development investment. The school's enrollment is small, concentrated in a student body that is predominantly Hispanic with very high poverty: nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the racial composition is overwhelmingly Hispanic with small numbers of Black and Asian students.

On state assessments in mathematics and English language arts administered in the 2024-25 school year, the school's results show uneven performance across grades. Sixth-grade math proficiency is below the midpoint; seventh grade shows a rise to around the midpoint; eighth grade reaches the higher range. In English language arts, sixth and seventh grades perform below the midpoint, while eighth grade drops to the lower range. Science testing, administered in grade eight only, shows proficiency in the lower range. When proficiency rates are averaged across all tested subjects and grades, South Bronx International sits in the bottom quartile relative to other districts in Bronx County.

The pattern here suggests that students are making academic gains as they progress from sixth to eighth grade in mathematics, yet English language arts proficiency does not follow the same trajectory and remains weak in the eighth grade. A parent may want to look into the school's literacy supports and instructional approaches in writing and reading, particularly at the higher grades. Participation rates on state assessments are generally strong, ranging from the mid-eighties to high-nineties, indicating the school is testing most of its enrolled students.

The school operates within New York City Geographic District 9, which has implemented two citywide curriculum mandates that took effect at different phases. The NYC Reads initiative requires all elementary schools to use one of three phonics-based reading curriculums, while the NYC Solves mandate applies a standardized math curriculum to middle schools; District 9 middle schools specifically use EL Education for mathematics. These mandates represent a shift from the prior practice of allowing schools to choose their own curricula and are now in effect. District 9 has experienced significant enrollment decline over the past several years, with the sharpest drops at the elementary and middle school levels, though enrollment stabilized in the most recent reporting period. This context matters for families considering the school's future trajectory and resource availability.

The Bronx itself is in a strong growth phase, with substantial new affordable housing development underway across neighborhoods including Mott Haven and other South Bronx communities. The borough is highly walkable and well-served by public transit, with subway lines including the 2, 4, and 5 serving the area, and major cultural institutions such as the Bronx Zoo and New York Botanical Garden nearby. Neighborhoods in the South Bronx are experiencing reinvestment, though the area remains characterized by very high poverty and dense urban settlement.

The school is a regular public school with no special designation. Data on special education enrollment, English learner status, chronic absenteeism, and graduation rate were not available, likely because the school serves only middle grades and therefore does not have a graduation cohort. A parent interested in understanding the school's approach to students with disabilities or English learners would need to contact the school directly for that information.

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Academic performance

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

New York Regents Exams

1 course reported · 2024-25

End-of-course exams required for a New York Regents diploma. Each row shows the cohort size and the share of students scoring at the proficient level or higher.

Course	Students tested	% proficient
Math	9	100.0%

Math

Grade 630%

School 30% · District 28% · ▲ 2 pts above district

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

Grade 751%

School 51% · District 42% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 861%

School 61% · District 45% · ▲ 16 pts above district

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 629%

School 29% · District 32% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Grade 738%

School 38% · District 39% · ▼ 1 pts below district

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

Grade 825%

School 25% · District 41% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

Science

Grade 819%

School 19% · District 38% · ▼ 20 pts below district

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

This schoolNEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT # 9, 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.