Icahn Charter School 3, Bronx NY

Original Research by School Decision on Icahn Charter School 3

Icahn Charter School 3 is a kindergarten-through-eighth-grade charter school in the Pelham Parkway area of the Bronx. The school serves a student body that is majority Black and Hispanic, with a substantial share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a high-poverty enrollment. The school is small to mid-sized within its grade band.

In state testing, the school shows solid to strong performance across subjects and grades. In mathematics, proficiency is consistently in the high range, with particularly strong showings in grades four, seven, and eight, where most students test at proficient levels. Grade three and six are slightly lower, though still respectable. In English language arts, the pattern is similar: grades five, seven, and eight are notably strong, with grade three the weakest of the cohort. Science data is more limited to grades five and eight, where students show proficiency rates that are above the midpoint but not as high as in mathematics and ELA. All grades tested show full or near-full participation in assessments.

Relative to other districts in Bronx County, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile, substantially above the county median. This is a meaningful strength. The school does not serve high school grades, so no graduation rate is available; that metric does not apply to the school's scope. Chronic absenteeism data and enrollment in special education or English learner programs were not available in the data provided.

The school was recognized as a 2021 National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. In January 2026, the SUNY Charter Schools Institute recommended renewal of the school's charter for a full five-year term without conditions, citing exemplary academic performance and fiscal soundness over the charter term. The renewal extends through the end of that term, giving families assurance of continuity.

The Bronx itself is in a strong growth phase. The neighborhood around the school is walkable, with commercial corridors and transit access via subway and bus. Housing costs in the area have risen modestly year-over-year and remain above state benchmarks, though typical rents are moderate for New York City. Major employers include health-care systems and nonprofits, and large parks and cultural institutions are accessible by transit.

As a charter school, Icahn 3 operates outside traditional district boundaries; it is its own education corporation. Its enrollment is drawn directly rather than through assignment, and it operates on a charter that defines its mission and accountability. A parent considering this school should ask about grade progression beyond eighth grade, since the school does not serve high school, and should inquire directly with the school about special education services and English learner support, since those enrollment figures were not published in the data reviewed.

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Academic performance

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

New York Regents Exams

1 course 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	17	100.0%

Math

Grade 379%

School 79% · district not reported

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 22 pts above county median

Grade 492%

School 92% · district not reported

▲ 34 pts above state median · ▲ 39 pts above county median

Grade 588%

School 88% · district not reported

▲ 37 pts above state median · ▲ 42 pts above county median

Grade 677%

School 77% · district not reported

▲ 32 pts above state median · ▲ 37 pts above county median

Grade 790%

School 90% · district not reported

▲ 37 pts above state median · ▲ 41 pts above county median

Grade 8100%

School 100% · district not reported

▲ 63 pts above state median · ▲ 63 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 368%

School 68% · district not reported

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

Grade 489%

School 89% · district not reported

▲ 36 pts above state median · ▲ 38 pts above county median

Grade 593%

School 93% · district not reported

▲ 38 pts above state median · ▲ 40 pts above county median

Grade 680%

School 80% · district not reported

▲ 34 pts above state median · ▲ 39 pts above county median

Grade 793%

School 93% · district not reported

▲ 46 pts above state median · ▲ 46 pts above county median

Grade 897%

School 97% · district not reported

▲ 49 pts above state median · ▲ 48 pts above county median

Science

Grade 571%

School 71% · district not reported

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 39 pts above county median

Grade 874%

School 74% · district not reported

▲ 41 pts above state median · ▲ 46 pts above county median

This schoolDistrict average, 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 3Lower-income73%Higher-income50%23 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income85%Higher-income100%15 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income94%Higher-income89%5 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income85%Higher-income67%18 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income92%Higher-income94%2 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income96%Higher-income100%4 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income81%Higher-income75%6 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income92%Higher-income91%1 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income88%Higher-income89%1 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income78%Higher-income75%3 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income88%Higher-income94%6 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income100%Higher-income100%0 pp gap