The top reported proficiency rate is 76% in Math. The lowest is 57% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Ps 264 Bay Ridge Elementary School for the Arts
PS 264 Bay Ridge Elementary School for the Arts sits on 89th Street in the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn, serving children from kindergarten through fifth grade. Its identity as a school for the arts shapes the environment from the start, and the academic results suggest that identity coexists with genuine academic strength.
On state assessments, the school performs well above what most families in Brooklyn's competitive school landscape would consider a baseline. Math proficiency in third grade is high, and fifth grade follows close behind; the fourth-grade math rate is lower, a gap worth asking the school about directly. English language arts tells a similar story: third-grade ELA proficiency is strong, fourth and fifth grades come in somewhat lower but still solidly above the city's typical range. Science, tested only in fifth grade in New York, is the softer spot, with roughly half the tested class reaching proficiency. That result sits below the school's own pattern in ELA and math, and a parent curious about science preparation should ask how it fits into the arts-integrated curriculum. Looking across all tested subjects and grades as a group, the school places in the top quartile relative to districts across Kings County, a meaningful position in a county with more than a hundred districts.
The student body is midsize for an elementary school of this grade band. White students make up the plurality, followed by Hispanic students, with smaller shares of Asian and multiracial students and very few Black students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which means the school serves a broad economic range despite the Bay Ridge zip code's notably high home values. Data on English learners and students with individualized education programs were not reported, so families with those needs should ask the school directly about its capacity and services.
The school belongs to NYC Geographic District 20, and the district context matters for families thinking ahead. District 20 has become, publicly reported, the city's leading user of academically screened middle school programs, expanding screened seats dramatically over a recent admissions cycle. For a family whose child is in kindergarten now, the competitive middle school landscape that awaits in a few years is very much part of what living in this district means. The district also opened several new schools in fall 2024 specifically to reduce longstanding overcrowding, adding seats and new program options in Bay Ridge. That capacity expansion is still settling in and will affect how the zone evolves.
Bay Ridge is part of the southwestern corner of Brooklyn, a neighborhood characterized by tree-lined residential blocks, a busy commercial strip along Third and Fifth Avenues, and a waterfront promenade along the harbor. The neighborhood blends long-established Italian and Arab American communities with newer arrivals. The broader borough is dense and highly walkable, with subway access into Manhattan and throughout Brooklyn, though Bay Ridge itself sits at the end of the R train and transit times to other parts of the city run longer than from more central neighborhoods.
Housing near the school commands prices well above both the New York state and national medians, and year-over-year values have been rising. Rents are also elevated and trending up. For families considering purchasing or renting nearby, the cost of housing in this zip code is a real planning factor.
Multi-year academic trend data was not available in the data provided, so it is not possible to say whether results have been rising, steady, or declining. Civil rights outcome data was also not in the dataset. Program details beyond the arts identity were not provided; the school's own website would be the place to understand what the arts integration looks like day to day, whether that means visual arts, music, theater, or some combination, and how it connects to the core academic program. Families for whom the arts framing is the draw would want that picture before enrolling.
See more original research from School Decision →