Catherine & Count Basie Middle School 72

Test scores here sit noticeably below district averages — 37.3% ELA proficiency versus a district average around 62.8%, and 27.4% in math versus 62.8% district-wide. The story isn't static, though: ELA proficiency has roughly doubled from 18.2% in 2016 to 37.3% in 2025, and math has climbed from 11.5% to 27.4% over the same span, peaking at 34.3% in 2023 before pulling back. Grade 8 students perform markedly better in ELA (52.3%) than their 6th- and 7th-grade peers (32.1% and 29%), suggesting students grow during their time here. The overall school quality score of 1.29 out of 4 places this school well below the district average of 2.51.

Parent trust is the standout: 96% parent-teacher trust and 98% parent-principal trust, both above district averages — families clearly feel heard here. Teacher signals are more mixed: 91% trust the principal and 86% rate instruction quality favorably, but teacher collegial trust sits at just 67%, suggesting staff dynamics could be smoother. Day-to-day, expect a small-school feel with engaged families but real attendance challenges — chronic absenteeism affects 52.8% of students, and overall attendance (88.3%) trails the district's 91.4%. Discipline has spiked: suspensions jumped from 3 in 2022-23 to 11 in 2023-24, pushing the suspension rate to 3%, well above the district average of 0.37%. That's a trend worth asking the principal about directly.

The student body is 67% Black, 16% Hispanic, 8% Asian, and 8% Native American — a notably diverse mix that includes a larger Native American share than most NYC schools. The economic need index of 76.3% signals a high-need population, and 28% of students have IEPs. The surrounding neighborhood is a working- and middle-class community with a median household income around $74,500 and a homeownership rate of 37.3%, though only about a fifth of households include children — a reminder that this is more of a multigenerational area than a young-family hub.

The school sits in Springfield Gardens (North)–Rochdale Village, a southeast Queens neighborhood of largely owner- and renter-occupied homes. Median household income is $74,543, with 11.3% of residents below the poverty line and about a quarter of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher. Households with children make up 19.7% of the area — lower than many NYC neighborhoods — so the school draws from a broader swath of southeast Queens rather than just immediate blocks.

There are no subway stations within a 20-minute walk, so families get here by car, school bus, or local bus service. Driving or bus commuting is the norm in this part of Queens.