Ps 345 Patrolman Robert Bolden, Brooklyn NY

Original Research by School Decision on Ps 345 Patrolman Robert Bolden

PS 345 Patrolman Robert Bolden is a small elementary school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in East New York, Brooklyn. The school serves a student body that is predominantly Hispanic and Black, with substantial economic need: a very large share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The neighborhood sits within District 19, which has recently adopted a standardized, science-of-reading approach to literacy instruction across its elementary schools.

On state assessments administered in the most recent school year, the school shows a mixed academic picture. In math, third and fourth graders reached proficiency at a solid level, while fifth graders fell considerably below, at less than half proficiency. In English language arts, proficiency rates across third, fourth, and fifth grade cluster in the low-to-middle range, with fourth graders and fifth graders both near or at half proficiency. Fifth-grade science proficiency is notably weak, at under one-fifth. When viewed across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency sits above the midpoint relative to other schools across Kings County, suggesting the school is performing reasonably but with clear soft spots, particularly in upper elementary grades and science.

Participation rates on the assessments are high, mostly in the mid-to-high range, indicating robust test-taking. The school maintains a small enrollment, with roughly equal numbers across early and upper grades. Housing values in the zipcode are moderate and rising, with median rents also climbing. The area is part of Brooklyn's broader growth trajectory, though East New York specifically remains less developed than many other Brooklyn neighborhoods.

The school is a regular public elementary school with no charter or magnet designation. State data on special education enrollment and English learner enrollment were not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about how it serves students with disabilities or multilingual learners. The school does not report on chronic absenteeism or other environmental factors beyond academics, leaving gaps in what we know about school culture and attendance climate.

A parent considering this school would be looking at a neighborhood public elementary option in a dense, transit-accessible part of Brooklyn, serving a predominantly low-income, Hispanic and Black student body. Strengths in early-elementary math and reasonably stable overall proficiency suggest the school has some solid fundamentals, but the sharp decline in fifth-grade proficiency, especially in science, signals the need to ask how the school supports students as they progress. The recent adoption of a consistent, evidence-based reading curriculum across the district may bring benefits that are not yet fully reflected in these latest test results.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 372%

School 72% · District 59% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 471%

School 71% · District 53% · ▲ 18 pts above district

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

Grade 547%

School 47% · District 50% · ▼ 4 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 358%

School 58% · District 52% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 453%

School 53% · District 47% · ▲ 6 pts above district

even with state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 550%

School 50% · District 54% · ▼ 4 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 520%

School 20% · District 33% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 573%

School 73% · district not reported

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

This schoolNEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT #19, 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.