The top reported proficiency rate is 64% in Social studies. The lowest is 26% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Ps 16 Leonard Dunkly
PS 16 Leonard Dunkly sits on Wilson Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, serving children from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade within NYC Geographic District 14. It is a small school by any measure, with enrollment well under two hundred students spread across seven grade levels. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, making this one of the higher-poverty schools in the borough. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial Black student population and very small shares of other groups. Data on English learner status and students with IEPs were not available in the materials reviewed.
On the New York State Testing Program, the school's results present a mixed picture across its tested grades. In math, third and fifth graders both scored at rates that place roughly half to three-fifths of students at proficient or above, which is a reasonably solid result in context. Fourth grade math proficiency fell noticeably below the other two grades, a gap a parent would want to ask the school about. In ELA, the pattern reverses somewhat: fourth grade was the strongest point, with more than three-fifths of students reaching proficiency, while third grade ELA was considerably weaker, with fewer than four in ten students scoring at that level. Fifth grade ELA landed near the midpoint. Science, assessed only at fifth grade, showed a lower proficiency rate than either math or ELA at that level, with roughly one in four students reaching the bar. Social studies data in the provided materials comes only from a much earlier school year and is not useful for characterizing the school today.
Placed against schools in Kings County with available proficiency data, PS 16 sits below the midpoint on overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades. That is a fair characterization of where it stands relative to its neighbors in the county, though the school serves a student population with significantly higher economic need than many schools in that comparison set. Chronic absenteeism and graduation rate data were not available; the graduation rate measure does not apply here because the school ends at fifth grade.
Trend data was not available, so it is not possible to say from this material whether results have been improving, declining, or holding steady. A parent who wants to understand the school's direction should ask the principal directly about trajectory.
The district context matters for families thinking beyond the elementary years. Publicly reported coverage of District 14 notes that NYC eliminated most middle school admissions screens for a period and that selective screening has since returned at a much smaller fraction of schools, reshaping how Williamsburg and Greenpoint families are matched to middle school. Separately, a state law now requires the city to phase in smaller class-size caps through elementary and middle grades over this decade, a change that would affect classroom conditions as students move through the system. District 14 has also seen steeper enrollment declines than the borough average at both elementary and middle school levels, and publicly reported journalism has documented that NYC has accelerated school mergers and consolidations, with Brooklyn among the most affected areas. Families weighing a long-term commitment to the district should factor in the possibility of school changes over time.
The neighborhood itself is Williamsburg, one of Brooklyn's most transit-dense and walkable areas, embedded in a borough undergoing substantial residential construction, particularly in Downtown Brooklyn and along the Williamsburg corridor. Housing values in the zip code are dramatically above the New York State median and well above national benchmarks, and rents have been rising. The area is urban, active, and well-connected by subway, with daily errands and street life woven into the same blocks where the school sits.
PS 16 is a small neighborhood public elementary school in a high-need community. Its math results are genuinely mixed across grades, its ELA results vary more than its math, and its science score at fifth grade is an area a parent would want to explore further with the school. Program offerings data was not available for this school, so it is not possible to speak to enrichment, arts, or any specialized curriculum.
See more original research from School Decision →