Following The Need

Key Takeaways:

• We analyzed NYC data for PS 73 (Bronx) and JHS 202 (Queens) to understand student need and neighborhood economic conditions. 

• The data shows that both schools serve overwhelmingly low‑income, majority Hispanic/Latino students. 

• Concentrated disadvantages and language barriers in early grades increase the risk of long‑term learning gaps. 

• Our next step is to direct funding, wraparound services, and volunteer support to PS 73 and JHS 202 while using this dashboard to monitor progress. 

Introduction 

New York City families are not equally resourced, and schools in lower‑income neighborhoods shoulder a disproportionate share of economic hardship, food insecurity, and language support needs. This work aims to identify where philanthropic dollars and community partnerships can do the most good by comparing school‑level need at PS 73 and JHS 202 to citywide benchmarks. These insights help district leaders, funders, and nonprofit partners prioritize investments, design targeted programs, and justify sustained support for students facing the highest barriers to success. 

1. Economic disadvantage is pervasive, especially at PS 73 

• Roughly 97% of PS 73 students and about 81–84% of JHS 202 students are classified as economically disadvantaged, compared to about 72–75% across NYC. 

• In practical terms, about 9 in 10 students at both schools come from families participating in assistance programs like free/reduced‑price lunch, SNAP, SSI, TANF, or similar supports. 

• PS 73 sits in a “severely disadvantaged” band, roughly 10–16 percentage points above the NYC average, while JHS 202 is “moderately disadvantaged,” about 10–12 points higher than the city benchmark. 

  
  

2. Majority Hispanic/Latino student populations with distinct neighborhood contexts 

• At PS 73, about 77% of students are Hispanic/Latino, with roughly 21% Black/African American and about 1% White or American Indian/Alaska Native. 

• At JHS 202, about 47% of students are Hispanic/Latino, 37% Asian, 6% Black/African American, 4% White, and 1% multiracial. 

• Both campuses serve a majority or strong plurality of Hispanic/Latino students, compared with a 42% Hispanic/Latino share citywide, underscoring their role in educating NYC’s Latino communities. 

  
  

3. English learner needs are higher than the NYC average 

• Approximately 31% of PS 73 students are English Language Learners, roughly double the citywide ELL rate of about 15–17%. 

• JHS 202’s ELL rate is about 14–15%, very close to the NYC average, but still representing about 1 in 7 students needing dedicated language support. 

• Home languages at JHS 202 include Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Bengali, while PS 73’s primary languages include Spanish, Mandarin, Bengali, and Korean, signaling the need for multilingual communication and culturally responsive instruction. 

  
  

4. Neighborhood income and SNAP data show deep structural need 

• Median household income around PS 73’s South Bronx zip codes is approximately 32,000–38,000 dollars, compared to roughly 78,000 dollars for NYC overall, a gap of about 46,000 dollars. 

• The area around JHS 202 in Ozone Park has a median household income around 68,000–86,000 dollars, still about 10,000–13,000 dollars below the NYC median but significantly higher than PS 73’s neighborhood. 

• Between 20% and 40% of households in both schools’ community districts rely on SNAP, with Bronx Community District 3 (PS 73) approaching “2 in 5 families” on SNAP—nearly twice the NYC average of about 21%. 

  
  

5. Why support PS 73 and JHS 202 specifically? 

• PS 73 students face the combination of extremely low neighborhood income, very high rates of economic disadvantage, and higher‑than‑average ELL needs in early grades, when foundational skills are formed. 

• JHS 202 serves a mixed‑income community but still has significantly more economically disadvantaged students than the city average and supports a racially diverse, multilingual student body. 

• Directing resources to these schools supports children at the intersection of poverty, language barriers, and systemic inequities, where each incremental investment can have outsized long‑term returns. 

  
  

Discussion 

This analysis demonstrates the strategic value of targeting philanthropy and programmatic support to schools where student need is both concentrated and multidimensional—economic, linguistic, and neighborhood‑based. By pairing school‑level indicators with income and SNAP data, the dashboard helps decision‑makers see not just how students are doing inside the classroom, but also the conditions families face outside of school. 

Recommended actions 

• Expand comprehensive supports at PS 73: Funders and district leaders should prioritize PS 73 for intensive supports such as school‑based social work, food access programs, and family resource centers, given its severe income gap and very high economic disadvantage. 

• Strengthen ELL and bilingual services: School and district academic teams should invest in additional bilingual educators, co‑teaching models, and translation/interpretation services, especially at PS 73 where about one‑third of students are ELL. 

• Invest in culturally responsive enrichment: Community‑based organizations and after‑school providers should design programs that reflect the schools’ majority Hispanic/Latino and multilingual populations, helping build belonging and engagement. 

• Target wraparound family supports in high‑SNAP areas: Nonprofits and public agencies should embed legal aid, benefits navigation, and workforce services in or near these schools, especially in Bronx CD 3 where up to 40% of households rely on SNAP. 

  
  

Data 

• NYSED Report Cards and NYC DOE snapshots 

• U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (via Census Reporter) 

• NYC Community District SNAP 

  • Time period analyzed: 

    • School‑level metrics: 2023–2024 school year. 

    • Neighborhood income and SNAP: 2021–2025 ACS and 2023 NYC SNAP district data. 

  • Key segments: 

    • Schools: PS 73X in the South Bronx (K–5) and JHS 202 Robert H. Goddard in Ozone Park, Queens (grades 6–8), compared to NYC averages. 

    • Student groups: Economically disadvantaged students, English Language Learners, and race/ethnicity distributions. 

  • Neighborhood context:

    • Zip‑code and community‑district income and SNAP reliance around each school. 

  • High‑level data preparation: 

    • Standardized school‑level percentages against NYC benchmarks (e.g., economic disadvantage, ELL rates) to show “gap” above or below city averages.  

    • Aggregated demographic categories into clear visuals (e.g., majority group call‑outs, donut charts) and aligned income/SNAP metrics to each school’s catchment area.