P.S. 75 School of Research and Discovery

A stone’s throw from the Bronx River, PS 75 dominates a block across from Lyons Square Playground, where the schoolchildren play. The five-story red brick building houses two gyms, two indoor play areas used for recess during bad weather, a cafeteria and a library, in addition to computer labs.

The school still has a ways to go to improve achievement on state test scores but it gets high marks from the city in many areas, including for its consistency, culture and instruction, according to the Quality Review.

Principal Marines Arrieta-Cruz has more than a dozen years of experience at the school. She and her staff have seen test scores rise in recent years, particularly in math. They follow a rigorous program called Math in Focus. They also follow the writing approach from Teachers College, Columbia University, in which children learn to edit and improve their own work from an early age. Most teachers say the school is safe and orderly on school surveys.

Parents are welcome. They participate in art classes and trips to local museums, skating and other venues, according to the yearly plan. Every year, the school is open on Thanksgiving Day and staff members volunteer their time and donate meals to feed members of the community. Families celebrate spring in Pelham Bay Park, where the school hosts an annual Family Field Day.

Many children live below the poverty line and a large percentage of students live in temporary housing, according to the school’s yearly plan. Some children miss more than 18 days of school, which interrupts their education.

There is a medical office in the building, a dental clinic and an after-school program run by Sheltering Arms.

ADMISSIONS: Neighborhood school. (Lydie Raschka, DOE data, January 2020)