Original Research by School Decision on Ps 371 Lillian L Rashkis
PS 371 Lillian L Rashkis is a special education high school serving grades 9 through 12 in Brooklyn's Sunset Park neighborhood. The school is part of NYC Special Schools - District 75, the city's dedicated special education system.
The student body is small, with enrollment concentrated in ninth and tenth grades and tapering in the upper grades. A large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic circumstances of the families the school serves. The student population is predominantly Black and Hispanic, with smaller shares of Asian, white, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and American Indian or Alaska Native students.
District 75 schools serve students with disabilities across a broad spectrum of need and functioning level. State testing data is not available for this school, and no graduation rate was reported, which reflects the specialized nature of the population served. Many students in District 75 follow alternative curricula tied to life skills rather than standard grade-level standards, and assessment approaches differ from mainstream public schools. Parents should understand that this school operates within a different accountability framework than typical high schools.
The school is embedded in a growing, dense Brooklyn neighborhood with strong transit access. Sunset Park is known for active commercial corridors and a mix of residential and retail spaces. The broader Brooklyn housing market has been in strong growth, with home values and rents above state and national benchmarks. The neighborhood itself is walkable with bus routes and subway access, making it feasible for families across the borough to access the school.
District 75 has been working to expand seat capacity to reduce long commutes for students with disabilities and to provide more local placement options. New programs have opened in some districts, though significant seat shortages persist in the Bronx and parts of Queens and Staten Island. The district recently adopted a standardized literacy approach aligned with the citywide NYC Reads curriculum, though implementation remains flexible to accommodate the wide range of student needs, from life-skills instruction to grade-level academics.
The school operates within a resource-constrained district. In late 2023, District 75 faced substantial threat of budget cuts to staffing and services, though the city ultimately reversed course after parent and staff advocacy. This episode underscores the funding pressures families should monitor going forward. For families considering PS 371, the key questions are whether the school's program aligns with their child's needs, what curriculum pathways and support services the school offers, and what transition planning and post-secondary outcomes the school facilitates. These details are best explored directly with the school.
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