Ps 159 Luis Mumoz Marin Biling, Bronx NY

Original Research by School Decision on Ps 159 Luis Mumoz Marin Biling

PS 159 Luis Munoz Marin Bilingual is a small elementary school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in the Bronx, with a student body that is overwhelmingly Hispanic and economically disadvantaged. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a reflection of the neighborhood's low-income character. The school's enrollment is small but distributed fairly evenly across its grade bands.

On state assessments, PS 159 shows mixed performance. In English language arts, third graders perform at a notably higher level than their peers in grades four and five, with third-grade proficiency well above the midline among county elementary schools. By fifth grade, ELA proficiency drops significantly. Mathematics proficiency is lower across the board than in ELA. Fifth-grade math shows the weakest results overall, with less than one in five students meeting state standards. Science and ELA proficiency in fifth grade sit at similar levels. The school participates fully in state testing with very high test-taking rates, so the results reflect actual student performance rather than incomplete participation.

When placed against the six elementary schools in Bronx County with comparable test data, PS 159's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile, a meaningful strength that reflects its third-grade ELA results pulling the school's aggregate performance upward. However, this aggregate masks the concerning decline in proficiency as students move into upper elementary grades, particularly in mathematics. A parent may want to look into this further with the school: what instructional changes occur between third and fifth grade, and what supports exist for students working below grade level in math.

The school carries the bilingual designation in its name, though the data provided does not include the breakdown of bilingual programming or the count of English learners served. This is a gap worth asking the school about directly if bilingual instruction is a priority for your family.

District 10, which encompasses PS 159, underwent a significant literacy curriculum overhaul beginning in the 2024-25 school year. All elementary schools moved to one of three approved, phonics-based reading programs, replacing the prior model where schools chose their own materials. This is a district-wide instructional change that affects how reading is taught at PS 159 and may be relevant if you are evaluating the school's reading approach.

The broader Bronx context shows strong recent housing growth and major affordable development along transit corridors, though District 10 itself faces declining overall enrollment. Within that district context, PS 159 remains open and active. The neighborhood is served by multiple transit lines and sits within reach of the Bronx's growing network of parks and civic institutions, though the immediate area does not have state assessment data beyond what the school itself reports.

For families considering PS 159, the school's strength in third-grade literacy is notable, but the visible drop-off in upper grades warrants direct conversation with school leadership about instructional continuity and intervention strategies. The school's small, tight-knit enrollment and high-need student population shape its environment in ways that families should observe firsthand.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 354%

School 54% · District 46% · ▲ 8 pts above district

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

Grade 452%

School 52% · District 45% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▼ 6 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 520%

School 20% · District 41% · ▼ 21 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 377%

School 77% · District 43% · ▲ 34 pts above district

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 28 pts above county median

Grade 455%

School 55% · District 44% · ▲ 11 pts above district

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

Grade 542%

School 42% · District 47% · ▼ 5 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 542%

School 42% · District 31% · ▲ 12 pts above district

even with state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 594%

School 94% · district not reported

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above 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.