The top reported proficiency rate is 29% in English language arts. The lowest is 15% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Bridge Preparatory Charter School
Bridge Preparatory Charter School is a small, specialized elementary school on Staten Island's North Shore serving first through fifth grade, with kindergarten beginning soon following a June 2024 charter renewal and grade-span expansion that secured the school's continued operation. The school is built around a distinctive instructional model: every student receives daily Orton-Gillingham, a structured-literacy approach for students with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences. This model, not universal dyslexia identification and programming, is what families are choosing when they apply here. The founding focus has reportedly influenced New York City's own broader dyslexia initiatives, and the school carries a growing waitlist, signaling demand for this targeted instruction.
The enrollment is small, just under three-hundred students across the five grade band, with the largest grades (fourth and fifth) holding about the same or slightly larger cohorts than third grade. A substantial share of the student body—about three-quarters—qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the school draws families from across Staten Island's neighborhoods. Racially and ethnically, the enrollment is diverse: roughly one-third Black students, one-third Hispanic, roughly one-quarter White, with smaller populations of Asian and multiracial students.
State testing results for 2024-25 show proficiency rates across both English language arts and math in the low-to-mid range. In English language arts, proficiency ranged from roughly one-fifth in grade three to roughly two-fifths in grade five. In math, results tracked similarly, with proficiency rates at comparable or slightly lower levels in grades three, four, and five. Science proficiency in grade five was notably lower. Participation rates in testing were in the high-sixties to high-seventies, meaning a portion of tested students in some grades did not participate. These results reflect a student population presenting significant academic gaps at entry, which the Orton-Gillingham model is designed to address. A parent may want to look into further data on student progress over time and trajectories as these students move through the school, since this baseline matters for understanding the school's instructional outcomes.
The school sits in the North Shore neighborhood of Port Richmond, a commercial hub area near civic and maritime activity. Staten Island itself is defined by a suburban character unusual for New York City, with detached homes, backyards, and quiet residential streets—especially in the South Shore—alongside distinct neighborhood commercial corridors. Port Richmond Avenue serves as a commercial spine, and the borough is one-third parkland. A significant portion of new housing development is concentrating on the North Shore waterfront via projects like the Pearl (completed late 2025) and the planned New Stapleton Waterfront development. Home values in the local 10301 zip code are notably higher than the state average, and rents have been rising modestly. These housing costs reflect broader Staten Island demand even as the borough historically builds far more slowly than other New York City boroughs.
The school's charter structure and specialized focus mean it sits outside traditional public-school district governance. With a charter renewal secured and a planned grade-span expansion to include kindergarten, the school offers families a stable, deliberately designed program for students whose learning profile requires the Orton-Gillingham approach—a particular fit rather than a universal community school. Its distinctive mission and focused model are its defining features; admissions and waitlist status suggest it meets a demand families across the borough recognize.
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