Community Action School - MS 258

Community Action School (CAS) is a small, supportive middle school where students are well known and adults work closely with families to help children succeed. The school offers lots of academic and personal support in a safe, close-knit environment.

Four days a week, students receive reading instruction in small groups that are adjusted to meet students needs, with support ranging from foundational skills like phonics to enrichment. Students in all three grades participate.

Students are expected to read independently for about 20 minutes each night, complete math homework nightly, and have science or social studies assignments several times a week. Homework increases gradually from 6th to 8th grade. Chromebooks are used during the school day, but most homework is paper-based.

The school's state test scores remain below the city average, particularly in math. Even so, the school enrolls every 8th grader in Algebra I and Biology, giving all students the chance to tackle high school level work. 

As a community school, students and families can access vision and dental care, mental health counseling, and referrals to outside help. Many students receive services without leaving the building, making it easier to address problems that can interfere with learning. 

Staff also closely monitor students' well-being. Every morning students can request to meet with a counselor, and administrators and counselors meet daily to identify students who may need immediate support. The school welcomes many students with special needs including students with disabilities, multilingual learners and those living in temporary housing.

The school offers Saturday Academy and a wide range of after-school activities, including robotics, woodworking, engineering, cooking, flag football, step dance, chess, cross-country, soccer, drama, student government, martial arts and yoga.

After-school homework help gives students a place to finish assignments with adult assistance. Field trips and events have included Broadway shows, camping, and family potluck dinners.

The school’s small size is both a strength and a challenge. Parents are happy they can email teachers, and say the parent coordinator picks up the phone. A small school also has fewer resources than larger schools.

CAS has been rebuilding after enrollment dropped during the pandemic. Numbers have climbed steadily. And, like many schools across the city, struggles with attendance continue. School leaders say they are addressing chronic absenteeism with mentors, breakfast clubs, incentives, and regular check-ins with students and families. They also say families increasingly choose the school after visiting, when they experience its small, supportive environment firsthand.

Community Action is housed on two floors of a building it shares with MS 256 Lafayette Academy and Manhattan School for Children. 

Special Education: The school integrates students with disabilities in general education classes with two teachers. It has a class called ACES with only seven children who have serious cognitive impairments, and a self-contained  6th grade serving only students with disabilities. (Lydie Raschka, official reports, interviews, July 2026)