The top reported proficiency rate is 65% in Math. The lowest is 60% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Dream Charter School Highbridge
Dream Charter School Highbridge is a young charter school in the South Bronx serving Kindergarten and first grade. It opened in fall 2022 as the sixth campus in the DREAM Charter network and moved into its permanent facility in fall 2024, a custom-built space with music, dance, art, and science classrooms plus a gymnasium, steps from multiple subway lines.
The school's enrollment is small, made up roughly equally of Black and Hispanic students, with a few students from other backgrounds. The school does not report free-or-reduced-price-lunch counts, special education enrollment, or English learner numbers, which is not uncommon in newly established charter schools in their early years. What data is available comes from the sixth-grade cohort, which has been assessed through New York State testing; the school currently serves grades Kindergarten through 1, so state results reflect an older group rather than this school's primary enrollment.
Among the sixth graders tested in math, roughly two-thirds met or exceeded the state's proficiency standard, and in English language arts, roughly three-fifths did. Both rates place this school's proficiency index in the top quartile relative to other districts in Bronx County. The sample sizes are small, and the tested grades do not represent the bulk of the school, which centers on early elementary. High participation rates in both subjects suggest strong test administration.
The Highbridge neighborhood where the school sits is in the South Bronx, in a residential area near the Harlem River with dense housing stock and access to major transit. The Bronx as a whole is experiencing substantial growth in housing, particularly affordable units, with major developments underway in nearby areas and new transit infrastructure planned. Residential housing values in the zip code have appreciated modestly in recent years; median rents are moderate for New York City.
A parent considering this school should recognize it as an early-stage school still expanding grade by grade. The network's extended school day and year (common to all DREAM campuses) means a different time structure than traditional public schools. The school's proficiency results on state tests are above the county median, though results come from a grade the school no longer serves. For families seeking a charter alternative focused on early elementary in the South Bronx with access to new facilities and expanded school time, the school's location and growth trajectory may be a fit; a parent may want to look into further the school's approach to early literacy and numeracy, its retention practices, and what the grade expansion timeline looks like in coming years.
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