Success Academy Charter School-union Square, New York NY

Original Research by School Decision on Success Academy Charter School-union Square

Success Academy Charter School-Union Square is a charter school serving kindergarten through eighth grade in lower Manhattan's Union Square neighborhood. Based on the most recent state testing data, the school shows strong performance across both English language arts and mathematics, with proficiency rates in the high range across its tested grades.

In mathematics, proficiency rates cluster consistently in the high range, with seventh grade performing at the highest level. Fifth and sixth grades show proficiency near that level as well. Third and fourth grades also perform strongly. English language arts proficiency is somewhat lower than mathematics but remains solid, with seventh grade again leading, followed closely by sixth grade. Performance in fifth and fourth grades sits in the low-to-mid range for the subject.

In science, fifth grade—the only grade tested—shows proficiency at a moderate level, noticeably below the school's mathematics and English performance.

The school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile relative to other public and charter schools in New York County.

The school serves a diverse student body. Roughly equal shares of students identify as Hispanic, Asian, and Black, with smaller shares identifying as white, multiracial, or Native American/Alaska Native. More than half the student population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a substantial share of families with lower household incomes.

A significant change is underway. Beginning with the 2025-26 school year, Union Square is transitioning from a K-8 school to a K-4 school. Its middle school grades will move to Success Academy Hudson Yards. Families considering enrollment should understand that a student who completes fourth grade at Union Square will continue middle school at a different campus.

The school occupies a second-floor location on Irving Place in lower Manhattan, embedded in a dense, mixed-use neighborhood with extensive public transit access. Housing values in the 10003 zip code are substantially above state and national medians, and rents have risen in the most recent year. The neighborhood supports a major employment base anchored in finance, professional services, and technology, with significant ongoing development activity across the city, including housing construction, office-to-residential conversion, and infrastructure investment. Daily life is shaped by the subway network, walkability, parks, libraries, and the commercial and cultural density of the area.

The school is part of the Success Academy charter network, which expanded significantly in 2024 when the state approved additional new schools for the network after lifting longstanding charter authorization limits. This expansion affects seat availability and lottery dynamics across Success Academy schools including Union Square.

Data on graduation rate and chronic absenteeism were not available for this school, as these measures typically apply at the high school or district level. Special education enrollment and English learner enrollment figures were not reported in the available data.

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Academic performance

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

New York Regents Exams

3 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	101	99.0%
Science	101	54.0%
Ela	100	97.0%

Math

Grade 398%

School 98% · district not reported

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

Grade 497%

School 97% · district not reported

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

Grade 597%

School 97% · district not reported

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

Grade 698%

School 98% · district not reported

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

Grade 798%

School 98% · district not reported

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

Grade 80%

School 0% · district not reported

▼ 37 pts below state median · even with county median

English language arts

Grade 392%

School 92% · district not reported

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

Grade 494%

School 94% · district not reported

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

Grade 593%

School 93% · district not reported

▲ 38 pts above state median · ▲ 28 pts above county median

Grade 695%

School 95% · district not reported

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

Grade 798%

School 98% · district not reported

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

Grade 80%

School 0% · district not reported

▼ 48 pts below state median · ▼ 53 pts below county median

Science

Grade 580%

School 80% · district not reported

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

Grade 80%

School 0% · district not reported

▼ 33 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below 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-income89%Higher-income97%8 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income93%Higher-income97%5 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income90%Higher-income97%8 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income96%Higher-income94%2 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income99%Higher-income98%0 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income97%Higher-income100%3 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income99%Higher-income97%1 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income94%Higher-income100%6 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income95%Higher-income99%3 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income96%Higher-income100%4 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income99%Higher-income98%0 pp gap