Located in BROOKLYN, NY. Serving grades PK through 05.
PS 32 Samuel Mills Sprole sits on Hoyt Street in Carroll Gardens, part of New York City Geographic District 15, one of the more closely watched school districts in Brooklyn. It serves children from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, so there is no graduation rate to report and no high school pathway data; those measures simply do not apply here.
The academic picture is a genuine strength. On the New York State Testing Program, PS 32 posts proficiency rates that are well above the midpoint among schools in Kings County and land in the top quartile of the comparison set of districts across the county. In English Language Arts, third and fourth graders reach proficiency at particularly high rates, with fifth grade trailing slightly but still comfortably above what most comparable schools produce. Math proficiency tracks closely, rising across grades three through five with fifth grade posting the strongest results of the three. Science, tested at fifth grade, follows a similar pattern. The consistency across subjects and grade levels, rather than strength in one area and weakness in another, is what makes the academic profile notable. Social studies results are available only from a much earlier school year and tell us little about current performance.
Enrollment is sizable for an elementary school of this type, spread across seven grade levels including pre-K. The student body is racially and ethnically mixed: white students make up the largest share, followed by Hispanic and Black students, with smaller Asian and multiracial groups. Roughly two in five students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, meaning the school serves a genuinely economically mixed population, which is somewhat unusual for a Carroll Gardens address given the surrounding real estate market. Data on English learners and students with individualized education programs was not available in the data we have, so families with children who receive those services will want to ask the school directly about staffing and program depth.
The housing market around PS 32 is among the most expensive in New York State. Home values in the immediate zip code run far above both the New York State median and the national median, and rents have been climbing sharply over the past year as publicly reported. Families relocating specifically to be in this school's zone are paying a premium that reflects both the neighborhood's character and, likely, the school's reputation.
That zone itself is in flux. District 15 approved a rezoning of seven elementary schools that took effect for kindergarten and pre-K admissions in the 2022-23 school year, and PS 32's zone was among those that expanded. Then in 2025, the district reopened the question entirely, publicly presenting two new proposals: one that would redraw zone lines again around overcrowded schools, and another that would eliminate zones altogether in favor of a districtwide lottery with a set-aside of seats for underserved students. That second proposal would make your address largely irrelevant to elementary school access. This is an active, unresolved situation, and families making housing decisions based on proximity to PS 32 should follow it closely before signing a lease or a contract.
For middle school, District 15 already made a comparable structural change: it removed academic screens from all district middle schools and moved to a lottery that reserves a portion of seats for low-income students, English learners, and students in temporary housing. Publicly reported data through the 2022-23 school year showed district middle schoolers scoring above the citywide average, with reduced suspension rates and more economic and racial integration. Parents who expected to parlay elementary school performance into a screened middle school seat should know that pathway no longer exists in this district.
Brooklyn itself offers the street-level resources that matter in early childhood: walkable blocks, dense transit, parks, and libraries within reach of nearly any address in Carroll Gardens. Prospect Park is accessible, and the borough's library system runs roughly 60 branches. The neighborhood's urban texture, active sidewalks, and proximity to the waterfront and to Downtown Brooklyn's transit hub are what families find when they arrive, whatever the school assignment map looks like when they get here.
Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.
Officially reported figures, 2024-25.