M.S. 27 is a public middle school that occupies the first and second floors of a large, four-story school building on the corner of Gates and Stuyvesant avenues. (The building was under construction when we visited.) The school serves grades 6 through 8, with an academic focus on math and science. Student enrollment is 391. In addition to math and science as a focus, the school also offers vocational education, special education, speech/language pathologists, "extended day" programs and ESL courses.