Ps 95 Sheila Mencher, Bronx NY - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Ps 95 Sheila Mencher

PS 95 Sheila Mencher is a public elementary and middle school serving kindergarten through eighth grade in the Bronx, located in a neighborhood with substantial density and a predominately working-class enrollment. The school is part of NYC Geographic District 10, which covers much of the central and northern Bronx.

The student body reflects the borough's demographics and economic circumstances. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and most students are Hispanic or Latino, with meaningful African American and Asian populations. The school enrolls a full range of grade levels, with enrollments heaviest in the upper grades, particularly seventh and eighth.

Academic performance presents a mixed picture with real soft spots that warrant careful attention. In the earlier grades tested, results show more strength. Third-grade proficiency in math reaches a modest level, with roughly half the class meeting state standards. Fourth grade is stronger in both math and English language arts, with nearly seven in ten students proficient in math. By the time students reach fifth grade, however, proficiency drops sharply in both subjects, falling to roughly one-third in math and less than that in English language arts. Performance continues to decline as students advance through middle school. Sixth and seventh grades show lower proficiency across both subjects, and by eighth grade results are concerning: math proficiency drops to a very low level, while science proficiency in eighth grade is especially weak. Notably, eighth-grade testing participation rates are substantially lower than in earlier grades, suggesting that not all eighth-grade students took the state science assessment.

When positioned against other schools in Bronx County, PS 95's overall proficiency sits in the bottom tier, below the county median and well below the highest-performing schools in the county. This is a real academic challenge that a parent would want to discuss directly with the school, particularly if considering this school for their student's middle school years.

The school has been subject to NYC's literacy mandate, which began rolling out in the 2023-24 school year and took full effect at PS 95 in 2024-25. The district is now required to use one of three approved phonics-based reading curricula, replacing the previous model where schools selected their own programs. This is a substantial instructional shift that shapes how reading is taught in early grades.

The Bronx neighborhood itself is in a period of growth, with major new affordable housing coming online and increased investment in infrastructure. The area is served by public transit, including subway and bus access. Housing values and rents in the zip code are moderate compared to the state benchmark, reflecting the borough's position in the New York market. Employment is anchored largely in health care and public service sectors, with Montefiore Medical Center as the largest employer in the borough.

The school's location serves families who live and work in the Bronx, and its enrollment size and grade span make it a traditional neighborhood school rather than a specialized or selective program. For families considering this school, the key question is how the recent shifts in curricula and the documented performance gaps in the upper grades, especially in math and science, align with their child's needs and learning trajectory. Discussing these results with school leadership and understanding how the school is working to address the performance decline as students progress would be important steps for any prospective family.

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Academic performance

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

New York Regents Exams

3 courses 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
Social Studies	62	26.0%
Math	60	60.0%
Science	59	29.0%

Math

Grade 348%

School 48% · District 46% · ▲ 2 pts above district

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

Grade 468%

School 68% · District 45% · ▲ 23 pts above district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

Grade 530%

School 30% · District 41% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 624%

School 24% · District 34% · ▼ 10 pts below district

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

Grade 748%

School 48% · District 42% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 811%

School 11% · District 38% · ▼ 28 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 338%

School 38% · District 43% · ▼ 5 pts below district

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

Grade 456%

School 56% · District 44% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 529%

School 29% · District 47% · ▼ 18 pts below district

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

Grade 627%

School 27% · District 39% · ▼ 13 pts below district

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

Grade 751%

School 51% · District 43% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 844%

School 44% · District 45%

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

Science

Grade 518%

School 18% · District 31% · ▼ 12 pts below district

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

Grade 87%

School 7% · District 33% · ▼ 25 pts below district

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

This schoolNEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT #10, 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 5Lower-income26%Higher-income67%41 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income27%Higher-income22%5 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income50%Higher-income67%17 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income43%Higher-income55%12 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income28%Higher-income43%15 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income26%Higher-income0%26 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income49%Higher-income38%11 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income12%Higher-income0%12 pp gap