School of Math Science and Healthy Living, Brooklyn NY

Original Research by School Decision on School of Math Science and Healthy Living

The School of Math, Science, and Healthy Living is a public elementary school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in a mixed neighborhood section of Brooklyn, specifically in the Sunset Park and Bay Ridge area where District 20 operates. The school sits in a dense urban context with easy access to transit and walkable streets.

The school enrolls a small student body, concentrated in the upper elementary grades. The composition is predominantly Hispanic and Asian, with a very high share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic demographics of the neighborhood. Enrollment data shows the school draws from a population of substantial economic need.

State testing results from the most recent year show uneven performance across grades and subjects. In third-grade math, proficiency is solid. By fourth grade, math proficiency drops significantly. Fifth grade shows further decline in both math and English language arts, with particularly low results in fifth-grade ELA and science. The pattern suggests either that student cohorts differ in strength as they advance, or that instruction becomes less secure in the upper grades, or some combination. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand what supports exist for students in grades four and five and whether the school can articulate plans to strengthen outcomes at those levels.

Compared to other schools in Kings County that serve elementary grades and were tested, this school's overall proficiency index places it below the midpoint of its peers. This is not an unusual outcome in the city, but it is a material datapoint for families weighing options.

The school's name reflects a mission focus on mathematics, science, and health, though program details beyond the tested academic subjects were not available in the data provided. District 20, the school's parent district, has been notable for recent expansion: three new schools opened in the area in fall 2024 to relieve decades of overcrowding, adding capacity and new specialized programs. This expansion is reshaping the landscape of choices for families in this part of Brooklyn, potentially affecting class sizes and available options going forward.

The neighborhood itself is urban and walkable, with dense residential blocks and commercial corridors, transit access, and a history of strong parental demand that has led to crowding. Housing values in the Brooklyn 11220 zip code are substantial and have been climbing steadily, reflecting broader borough trends. This is a neighborhood where many families are choosing to settle and raise children, though the school-choice environment has been historically competitive, especially as families navigate District 20's expanded use of academic screens for middle school admissions.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 379%

School 79% · District 75% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 450%

School 50% · District 74% · ▼ 24 pts below district

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 542%

School 42% · District 71% · ▼ 29 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 365%

School 65% · District 67% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▲ 13 pts above state median · even with county median

Grade 468%

School 68% · District 67% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 529%

School 29% · District 69% · ▼ 41 pts below district

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 33 pts below county median

Science

Grade 532%

School 32% · District 58% · ▼ 26 pts below district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below 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.