At a Glance
A large, family-trusted neighborhood school in Corona where strong community bonds haven't yet closed the proficiency gap.
Best suited for
Families who want a large, walkable zoned school with a warm community feel, strong parent-teacher relationships, and a no-suspension culture — and who are comfortable partnering with a school that is actively working to lift academic outcomes.
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
- Parent-principal and parent-teacher trust both at 97%, with 100% of staff reporting strong relationships — among the highest climate scores in the district
- Three consecutive years with zero suspensions and a 0% suspension rate
- An 84% family survey response rate, signaling unusually high parent engagement for a large school
- Test scores have rebounded roughly 10 points in both ELA and math since 2022, the best results since 2017
- A student body that closely reflects the surrounding Corona community, with 86% Hispanic enrollment and a 90% economic need index
Things to consider
- ELA and math proficiency both sit 10-13 percentage points below the district average — the gap is real even as the trajectory is upward
- Chronic absenteeism at 76.6% is very high and warrants a direct conversation with the school about what's driving it
- PTA fundraising is just $5 per student, compared to a district average of about $32 — enrichment and extras will be limited without outside support
- With 19% of students on IEPs, families should ask about the special education staffing and support model
- The school is a 13-minute walk from any subway, which makes drop-off logistics and after-school travel a real planning issue for working families
Based on 2024-25 data
School SummaryDistrict 24
Elm Tree sits below most of its listed District 24 peers, which range from the low 70s to mid-80s on the 100-point scale. It's not a standout within the district by the standard academic metrics, though its climate and trust numbers are among the strongest.
Academics
Elm Tree's 39.7% ELA proficiency and 41.5% math proficiency both sit well below the District 24 averages of roughly 51% and 55%. The trend, though, is the more interesting part: scores fell hard in 2018 and bottomed out in 2022 (29.7% ELA, 23.9% math), then climbed steadily to where they are now — a roughly 10-point gain in each subject over three years. The 2025 numbers are the school's best since 2017, even if they still trail peers. Grade 3 is the strongest cohort, while Grade 4 lags in both subjects.
Culture
The climate numbers here are striking. Parent-principal trust is 97%, parent-teacher trust is 97%, and 100% of surveyed staff report strong relationships — a rare sweep. Teacher-reported instruction quality (92%) and teacher-principal trust (92%) are solid, and the school has logged zero suspensions for three consecutive years, well below the district's already low rate. The 84% family survey response rate signals unusually engaged parents. Two things parents should weigh honestly: the chronic absenteeism rate of 76.6% is high (and reaches 90.7% in the Asian subgroup), and teacher-reported safety at 92% runs a touch below the district's 95%.
Community
The student body is 86% Hispanic, 9% Asian, 3% Black, and 1% White, with an economic need index of 90.1 — meaning almost every family qualifies for some form of public assistance. About 19% of students have IEPs. The neighborhood profile mirrors the school: Corona is a working-class, largely renter community with a median household income around $66,000, a 17.9% poverty rate, and roughly 23% of households including children. This is a school that looks like its block.
Neighborhood
Corona is a densely settled, family-heavy neighborhood in north-central Queens where most residents rent rather than own — homeownership sits at just 22%. The adult education level is relatively low, with about 16% of residents holding a bachelor's degree, and median household income is around $66,000. It's the kind of place where a lot of families are raising kids on tight budgets, and the school is clearly built to serve them.
Three subway options sit about a 13-minute walk from the school: 103 St-Corona Plaza and Junction Blvd on the 7, and Woodhaven Blvd on the M and R — close enough for older students, but a real walk for little ones.
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) · 716 families responded (84% 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
Elm Tree Elementary 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
Elm Tree Elementary 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 Elm Tree Elementary School a good school?
- On Motley, Elm Tree Elementary School earns an overall rating of 41/100 — 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 below the District 24 average.
- What grades does Elm Tree Elementary School serve?
- Elm Tree Elementary School serves grades Pre-K to 5.
- How do students get into Elm Tree Elementary School?
- Elm Tree Elementary School admits by zone — children who live in its attendance zone get a guaranteed seat.
- Is Elm Tree Elementary School public, charter, or private?
- Elm Tree Elementary School is a public school in NYC Community School District 24.
- What neighborhood is Elm Tree Elementary School in?
- Elm Tree Elementary School is in Corona, Queens.