At a Glance
A steadily improving South Jamaica elementary where parents feel deeply heard, even as day-to-day classroom and safety conditions trail behind.
Best suited for
Families rooted in South Jamaica who value a steadily improving academic trajectory, a warm family-school relationship, and a gentle discipline culture — and who can navigate a walk-to-the-subway commute or have a car.
Overall Rating
Rating = average of NY State ELA + math proficiency, grades 3–8
Bands are Motley's thresholds on a 0–100 scale, not New York State performance levels.
How this is scored→What stands out
- Math scores have nearly doubled since 2017, making it one of the more quietly upward-trending elementary schools in District 28.
- Parent trust in teachers (95%) and the principal (94%) is exceptionally strong — families feel heard here in a way many schools would envy.
- Zero suspensions for three consecutive years, a genuinely rare record in a large urban elementary.
- Third-grade math proficiency of 74.3% suggests the early grades are a particular strength.
- The school carries the name of New York City's first Black mayor, a meaningful nod to the neighborhood's civic history.
Things to consider
- Chronic absenteeism at 57% is high — even when instruction is good, missing this much school cuts into learning, and parents should ask what attendance supports are in place.
- Teacher-reported safety (77%) and instruction quality (76%) lag well behind parent views, suggesting teachers and families may be experiencing the school differently.
- PTA fundraising of about $27 per student is far below the district average of $165, so enrichment and extras depend more on what the school itself can provide.
- The 13–16 minute walk to the nearest subway makes this a tough commute for families without a car or reliable bus routes.
- Among the listed District 28 peers, several score notably higher, so it's worth comparing carefully if you have a real choice.
Based on 2024-25 data
School SummaryDistrict 28
On the Department of Education's 4-point scale, the school scores 2.53 — essentially at the District 28 average of 2.51, so it's a typical peer by the official measure, even though several named neighbors in the district pull ahead.
Academics
Math proficiency of 66.5% edges out the district average of 62.8%, while ELA at 59.9% sits a touch below the district's 62.8%. The trajectory is the more striking story — math has nearly doubled since 2017 (35.3% to 66.5%), and ELA has climbed steadily from a 31% low in 2017 to 59.9% in 2025. Third-graders post especially strong math results (74.3%), suggesting the early grades are where this school really clicks.
Culture
There's a real split in the climate data worth naming. Parents feel welcomed and heard — 95% trust their teacher, 94% trust the principal, 93% say there are strong relationships — but teachers tell a more cautious story: only 76% rate instruction quality as strong (versus 92% district-wide) and just 77% feel safe in the building (versus 93% district-wide). Attendance is a concern, with chronic absenteeism at 57% — meaning more than half of students miss significant school. On the upside, there have been zero suspensions for three straight years, so the discipline climate is genuinely gentle.
Community
The student body is majority-Black (45%) with a substantial Asian population (28%) and Hispanic representation (22%) — a mix that mirrors South Jamaica's working-class, multicultural character. The economic need index of 79% means four out of five students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and 16% are IEP students. PTA fundraising runs about $27 per student, well under the district average of $165, which usually tracks with how much extra enrichment families can underwrite.
Neighborhood
South Jamaica is a working-class, family-oriented pocket of Queens where about one in five households includes children and the homeownership rate sits near 46% — higher than many NYC neighborhoods, suggesting real residential stability. Median household income is just under $74,000, and 17.8% of neighbors hold a bachelor's degree, so this is a community where many parents are working multiple jobs and getting kids to school on time can be a real lift.
The school is a real walk from the subway — about 13 minutes to Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer (E, J, Z) and 16 minutes to Sutphin Blvd–Archer Av–JFK Airport (E, J, Z) — so most families arrive by car, bus, or on foot from nearby blocks.
Academic Performance
ELA Proficiency
Students scoring proficient or above on the NY State ELA exam.
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Math Proficiency
Students scoring proficient or above on the NY State Math exam.
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Historical Trends
The dashed line marks 2023, when New York changed its grades 3–8 state tests. Scores before and after it aren’t directly comparable.
2020–2021 data unavailable due to COVID-19
Source: NYC DOE School Quality Reports
Survey Results
NYC School Survey (2025) · 149 families responded (34% rate)
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
PTA Fundraising
Source: DOE Local Law 171 disclosure
Discipline
NYSED Student & Educator Database (2023-24)
Economic Need & Special Populations
How to get in, step by step
Pre-K
David N. Dinkins School also has Pre-K classes. They're a separate application from kindergarten, made on MySchools.
Pre-K application
Applications typically open in the winter and close in the spring, with offers in late spring; the city announces exact dates each year.
Kindergarten
David N. Dinkins School has an attendance zone. At elementary level, in-zone students get a guaranteed seat. Every family still applies on MySchools: the application confirms the zoned seat, and ranking other schools doesn't cost you it.
Kindergarten application
- Opens
- Wed, Dec 9
- Closes
- Fri, Jan 22
- Offers
- Tue, Mar 30
The DOE’s published dates.
- 1Check that your address is inside the zone — zones change, so confirm it before you sign a lease.
- 2Apply during the kindergarten application, even with a zoned seat.
- 3Rank this school along with any others you'd take, in true preference order.
Open houses and tours
We haven’t seen open-house dates for this school yet.
From the MySchools admissions calendar, checked weekly.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is David N. Dinkins School a good school?
- On Motley, David N. Dinkins School earns an overall rating of 63/100 — the average of the school's New York State ELA and math proficiency, grades 3–8, shown out of 100. Its state test results run in line with the District 28 average.
- What grades does David N. Dinkins School serve?
- David N. Dinkins School serves grades Pre-K to 5.
- How do students get into David N. Dinkins School?
- David N. Dinkins School admits by zone — children who live in its attendance zone get a guaranteed seat.
- Is David N. Dinkins School public, charter, or private?
- David N. Dinkins School is a public school in NYC Community School District 28.
- What neighborhood is David N. Dinkins School in?
- David N. Dinkins School is in South Jamaica, Queens.