Icahn Charter School 5, Bronx NY

Original Research by School Decision on Icahn Charter School 5

Icahn Charter School 5 is a kindergarten-through-eighth-grade charter school in the Pelham Parkway section of the Bronx, serving a school population that is predominantly Black and Hispanic, with a substantial share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The school operates on an extended calendar and day, a model that affects family scheduling and contrasts with the traditional public school calendar.

The school shows broad strength in math and reading across most grades. In math, proficiency runs strong in third, seventh, and eighth grades, solid in fourth and sixth grades, and moderate in fifth grade. In English language arts, the pattern is similar: strong results in third, fifth, and sixth grades, with performance in seventh grade slightly lower and eighth grade noticeably softer, suggesting an area a parent may want to look into further with the school. Science results, where tested in fifth and eighth grades, are in the moderate range. Across the board, the school posts proficiency rates well above the median for Bronx County districts, placing it in the top quartile on a proficiency index that averages performance across tested subjects and grades.

The enrollment is small, roughly evenly distributed across the K-3 grades and slightly smaller in the upper middle grades, with eighth grade the smallest cohort. Participation in state assessments is near-universal, which means the reported proficiency figures are grounded in nearly complete data rather than a subset of students.

The school was granted a five-year charter renewal by the SUNY Board of Trustees in January 2026, securing its continued operation through the end of the 2030-31 school year. This provides stability for families considering multi-year enrollment. The Icahn Charter organization, which operates this school, has announced plans to eventually merge its governance structure into a single education corporation across its schools to streamline operations and finances, though this change would take effect in a future charter term.

Icahn Charter schools are known for their Core Knowledge curriculum and their extended day and calendar model. The extended schedule is a signature feature that requires families to commit to a longer school day and a longer school year than traditional public schools offer. This structure is central to how the school operates; a parent weighing this school should clarify the schedule demands and whether they align with family work and care arrangements.

Housing in the Pelham Parkway zip code reflects broader Bronx appreciation, with median home values well above the national benchmark and rents modest for the region. The neighborhood is positioned on a major commercial and transit corridor, with good access to subway service and to parks and civic institutions across the borough.

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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	19	84.0%

Math

Grade 395%

School 95% · district not reported

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

Grade 489%

School 89% · district not reported

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

Grade 573%

School 73% · district not reported

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 27 pts above county median

Grade 676%

School 76% · district not reported

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

Grade 791%

School 91% · district not reported

▲ 39 pts above state median · ▲ 43 pts above county median

Grade 890%

School 90% · district not reported

▲ 53 pts above state median · ▲ 54 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 387%

School 87% · district not reported

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

Grade 483%

School 83% · district not reported

▲ 31 pts above state median · ▲ 33 pts above county median

Grade 589%

School 89% · district not reported

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

Grade 679%

School 79% · district not reported

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

Grade 780%

School 80% · district not reported

▲ 33 pts above state median · ▲ 33 pts above county median

Grade 868%

School 68% · district not reported

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

Science

Grade 565%

School 65% · district not reported

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

Grade 871%

School 71% · district not reported

▲ 38 pts above state median · ▲ 43 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-income82%Higher-income100%18 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income83%Higher-income85%2 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income89%Higher-income91%2 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income71%Higher-income100%29 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income80%Higher-income80%0 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income67%Higher-income71%5 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income93%Higher-income100%7 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income91%Higher-income85%7 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income69%Higher-income82%13 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income68%Higher-income100%32 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income92%Higher-income90%2 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income92%Higher-income86%6 pp gap