Jhs 223 Montauk (the), Brooklyn NY

Original Research by School Decision on Jhs 223 Montauk (the)

JHS 223 is a regular public middle school serving grades six through eight in Brooklyn's southwestern corner, in the Bay Ridge and Sunset Park area. The school serves nearly equal cohorts of sixth, seventh, and eighth graders, drawn from neighborhoods that have historically been densely populated and working-class. The enrollment is notably diverse by race and ethnicity, with Asian and Hispanic students making up the bulk of the school body, alongside white and Black students. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, signaling a neighborhood marked by economic constraint.

The school's academic profile shows strength in the earlier grades and a sharp decline by eighth grade. In sixth-grade math and ELA, students meet or exceed proficiency at rates in the mid-range, around half to two-thirds of students meeting state standards. Seventh grade sustains similar or slightly stronger performance, with about two-thirds of students proficient in math and nearly three-fifths in ELA. Eighth grade performance drops markedly: less than two-fifths of students are proficient in math, and science proficiency sits at roughly one-third. ELA holds slightly steadier at just above half. The participation rate in eighth-grade math and science testing is notably lower than in earlier grades, suggesting some students may not be sitting for those assessments.

When placed against other districts in Kings County, JHS 223's overall proficiency index sits below the midpoint. This means the school's performance across tested subjects and grades trails the median for its county peer set, though it is not the lowest. The pattern suggests the school is working with a population that faces academic headwinds, and the sharp drop-off in eighth grade warrants attention. A parent may want to look into what specific supports the school offers in math and science in the upper grades, and what the school is doing to address the participation gap in eighth-grade testing.

District 20, the school's parent district, has become the city's most aggressive user of academic screening for middle school admissions, more than quadrupling screened programs in recent years. This has reshaped the competitive landscape for middle school placement in the area. The district also opened three new schools in fall 2024 to address long-standing overcrowding, adding capacity and new specialized programs. JHS 223 itself is not described as a screened program, making it a neighborhood-based option in a district where many families are now competing for selective seats elsewhere.

Housing in the 11204 zip code is substantial in value, with home prices well above the state benchmark and rents rising year over year. The neighborhood is densely urban, highly walkable, and well-served by transit. Brooklyn itself is in a strong growth phase, with major residential development ongoing, though District 20's particular neighborhoods have deep roots and established character rather than rapid transition. For a family looking at JHS 223, the school represents a neighborhood middle school in a working-class, immigrant-rich area with solid early performance and a real gap to address by eighth grade.

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Academic performance

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

New York Regents Exams

2 courses reported · 2024-25

End-of-course exams required for a New York Regents diploma. Each row shows the cohort size and the share of students scoring at the proficient level or higher.

Course	Students tested	% proficient
Math	68	97.0%
Science	67	94.0%

Math

Grade 664%

School 64% · District 69% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

Grade 765%

School 65% · District 74% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Grade 840%

School 40% · District 70% · ▼ 30 pts below district

▲ 3 pts above state median · even with county median

English language arts

Grade 649%

School 49% · District 65% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 759%

School 59% · District 69% · ▼ 9 pts below district

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

Grade 854%

School 54% · District 67% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Science

Grade 837%

School 37% · District 61% · ▼ 24 pts below district

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 845%

School 45% · district not reported

▼ 34 pts below state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

This schoolNEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT #20, 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income48%Higher-income67%19 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income59%Higher-income60%1 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income56%Higher-income27%28 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income65%Higher-income60%5 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income66%Higher-income54%12 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income41%Higher-income31%10 pp gap