SCHOOL OF INTEGRATED LEARNING (THE) vs JHS 14 SHELL BANK

JHS 14 Shell Bank edges out School of Integrated Learning (The) by 0.1 points overall — 9.2 versus 9.1 out of 10 — but the more meaningful gap is in state rank: JHS 14 Shell Bank sits at #28 of 4,739 New York schools while School of Integrated Learning (The) ranks #43. Both are elite performers in a state with nearly 4,800 schools, placing them in the top 1% statewide. The margin separating them is narrow by any measure, which makes the remaining differences in school character and structure the more practical decision factors for Brooklyn families.

On academics, both schools score identically — 8.8 out of 10 — so neither school holds an edge in tested proficiency. The growth score tells a slightly different story: JHS 14 Shell Bank earns a perfect 10.0 while School of Integrated Learning (The) scores a 9.6. That 0.4-point growth gap means students at Shell Bank are advancing relative to their starting points at a marginally faster rate, and a 10.0 growth score reflects performance in the very top tier of New York middle schools.

Both schools serve grades 6 through 8 and have nearly identical economic profiles — 92% free and reduced lunch at School of Integrated Learning (The) versus 91% at JHS 14 Shell Bank — indicating both schools serve predominantly low-income student populations and are achieving elite outcomes in that context. Where they diverge structurally is size and staffing ratio: School of Integrated Learning (The) enrolls 220 students against JHS 14 Shell Bank's 478, and carries a student-teacher ratio of 11.0 to 1 compared to Shell Bank's 9.4 to 1. Shell Bank's lower ratio means more adult contact per student despite being twice the size, which is a notable operational achievement.

The two schools sit 5.4 miles apart in Brooklyn, both covering the same 6th through 8th grade span. Families weighing one over the other are not choosing between strong and weak — they are choosing between a smaller, tightly knit environment with near-perfect growth and slightly more staff per student at Shell Bank, versus an intimate micro-school setting at School of Integrated Learning (The) where the smaller absolute enrollment creates its own version of close community.