Mott Hall II

2025 Update: Mott Hall II is expanding to serve students in grades 6 to 12, admitting its first group of 9th-graders in September 2025.

Original review: Mott Hall II takes pride in being the most diverse middle school in District 3.  “I was amazed by their ability to take children of different races, ethnic backgrounds and academic levels and make this into one school family,” one parent wrote InsideSchools. “Parents and staff work together for the betterment of all the children.”

Both teachers and kids seem happy to be here, and parents praise the kindness and enthusiasm of the staff. “My child is academically challenged but not to the point of being miserable,” a parent wrote. Marlon Lowe, who became principal in 2013, gets high marks from teachers on school surveys.

Academics are strong. All 8th graders take 9th grade Regents exams in Living Environment and algebra, giving them a head start on high school. All children study music; 7th and 8th graders have instruction in dance. Students take Latin, technology and visual art. They put on a musical-theater performance and two talent shows every year. Students may also audition for the school choir.

Although admissions is screened, Mott Hall II serves a range of children with different academic abilities. It has top-performing students, as well students whose skills are below grade level. About one-quarter receive special education services, and handful are still learning English. Students with disabilities have test scores well above the citywide average.

The staff take pains to make children of different family incomes feel welcome and cared for. For example, the school offers extra clothing, laptop computers, and help with transportation to a handful of students in temporary housing, according to the Comprehensive Educational plan.

The guidance counselor is “fantastic,” one parent said. There is also a school counselor to assist students. Graduates attend a range of public and private high schools, with Beacon, Manhattan/Hunter, and Frank McCourt among the most popular. (Clara Hemphill, web reports, February 2019)