By David Cruz 

The days are getting shorter. The tinge of fall is just around the corner. Yep, it’s that time of year where children are heading back to school.

The 2014-15 school year comes amid a time of expansion for the city Department of Education, where the de Blasio Administration’s universal pre-K program, funded by the state, goes into effect. So far, 50,000 children throughout the city have been registered, according to figures released by the de Blasio Administration.

But Comptroller Scott Stringer released a report last week indicating only 30 percent of approved universal pre-K sites have registered.

The semester will also usher in a fourth year of Common Core State Standards, the controversial testing method that raises the complexity of math and English tests for 3rd and 8th grade students.

The 2014 Common Core test scores released by the city Department of Education (DOE) showed that students in District 10, comprised of Norwood, Bedford Park, Kingsbridge Heights, Riverdale, and Mount Hope, fared second best, a point higher than 2013. The progress, albeit minimal, aligns well with the academic status of District 10, ranked as the highest performing school district in the Bronx.

Still, the district remains the most overcrowded school district in the borough, a distinction that goes back to the 1990s. The Norwood News broke down the best and worst schools in the district, using data from DOE’s 2012-13 Student Progress Report, its most latest statistics.

Elementary Schools

District 10 elementary schools comparatively fare better than middle and high schools. Thirty-one elementary schools, running from kindergarten to fifth grade, canvass District 10. In data analyzed by the Norwood News, the district’s pot of elementary schools earn an average of 55, which translates into an overall progress report grade of B.

Of the 31 schools, P.S. 007 Kingsbridge in Kingsbridge Heights stands as the most highly ranked school in District 10 with an A rating, according to city Department of Education’s 2012-13 Progress Report Overview. Student Progress, Performance and Environment was at District 10’s highest, with each category earning a grade of A. On the opposite end of the educational spectrum is P.S. 024 Spuyten Duyvil on West 236th St. in Riverdale. The elementary school, with a current student body of roughly 900, earned a C overall grade with School Environment ranked the worst with an F.

Middle Schools

District 10 middle schools currently fare the best compared to elementary and high schools. Twenty-one middle schools cover the district, earning an average grade of A, according to the

DOE data. Four of the 21 schools each earn a C grade, which lowered the middle school average. Data analyzed by the Norwood

News shows The New School for Leadership and Journalism in Kingsbridge Heights as the best school, earning an A across the categories of Student Progress, Performance and Environment.

The school, with an enrollment of 695 sixth, seventh and eighth graders, boasts a record of allowing its students to travel abroad. Female students are able to join a sorority. The more problematic middle school in the district goes to Thomas C. Giordano Middle School at 2502 Lorillard Pl. in Fordham, pegged with an overall grade of C. There, the school’s environment was rated an F.

High Schools

For students entering high school in District 10, some may experience either a more intimate setting, a sea of ambitious fellow students or an overwhelmed school attempting to rescue itself from failure. The numbers indicate that District 10 high schools run the gamut, with one of the city’s highest achieving school just blocks away from one of the city’s worst.

Overall, the 19 high schools in District 10 earned an overall progress report grade of B. The highly ranked high school in District 10 goes to International Leadership Charter High School in the Kingsbridge Heights Neighborhood. With a student body of 291, the school boasts an A across the board, including the College and Career Readiness category.

Earning the distinction as the worst performing school is DeWitt Clinton High School in Norwood, a heavily populated school that nearly closed after underperforming for several years. Its overall progress report grade stands at an F, with swollen student body of nearly 3,700. Student progress fared the worst for the school that once graduated notable figures such as Stan Lee, Ralph Lauren, and Congressman  Charles Rangel. These days, the school is known for its daily fights, metal detectors and poor grades.

Not far from Clinton is the specialized Bronx High School of Science, another heavily populated high school, which requires that students gain entrance to the school by passing a Specialized High School Admissions Test, an exam that’s not well received by parents of black and Hispanic families who believe extracurricular activities should play a role in acceptance to the school. Currently, Asian students make up the bulk of the school with black and Hispanic students comprised of 11 percent of the student body, according to data by the New York State Education Department.

School’s In

The first full day of public school in New York City is Thursday, Sept. 4. For parents still seeking to enroll their students, the Enrollment Office is found at 1 Fordham Plaza. Their number is (718) 741-8495. For the safety of students and all pedestrians, the city  and state have taken prudent steps in deterring speedy drivers along school districts by installing speed cameras