Forte Preparatory Academy Charter School

Forte Preparatory Academy outperforms District 24 averages by a significant margin — 68% ELA proficiency versus the district average of 51%, and 77.8% math versus 55%. The school's 2.92 overall score (on a 4-point scale) also beats the district average of 2.12. Looking at grade-level data, Grade 7 stands out with particularly strong results (78.3% ELA, 89.1% math), suggesting the middle school years are a sweet spot for academic growth here.

The school shows strong family engagement — 532 family survey responses with a 97% response rate is extraordinary, indicating parents are deeply connected. Parent trust scores are excellent (93% parent-teacher trust, 95% parent-principal trust), and a remarkable 100% of teachers report students feel safe. However, there are some internal tensions: teacher-principal trust sits at 73% and teacher collegial trust at 66%, suggesting some friction between staff and leadership that parents may not see directly. Attendance is strong at 95.9%, well above the district average of 92.7%.

The student body is predominantly Hispanic (85%), with smaller populations of Black (9%) and Asian (5%) students. This mirrors the Elmhurst neighborhood, which is one of the most diverse in Queens. With 24% of students having IEPs and an economic need index of 82.5%, the school serves a population with significant support needs. The diversity index of 31% is relatively low for the neighborhood, meaning the school's population is less diverse than the area overall, likely reflecting the charter's specific enrollment patterns.

Elmhurst is a densely populated, family-heavy neighborhood in central Queens with excellent transit connectivity (63rd percentile) and strong education orientation (62nd percentile). The area has a high family density score (93rd percentile), making it a natural fit for a school serving grades 5-11. However, the safety score is low (26th percentile) with elevated crime density, and environmental health indicators show elevated asthma rates — common in this part of Queens. Median home values hover around $693,000, reflecting the neighborhood's competitive housing market.

Families arrive from across the neighborhood and beyond — the strong transit score reflects the area's accessibility via multiple subway lines and bus routes, though the relatively low safety score means many families accompany younger students.