Forte Preparatory Academy Charter School

Forte's test scores are well above District 24 averages — 68% ELA proficiency versus the district's roughly 51%, and 78% math versus the district's 55%. The trajectory is the more impressive story: ELA has climbed nearly 22 points over seven years and math has added roughly 15, with the steepest gains coming in the most recent years. Seventh graders post particularly strong numbers (78% ELA, 89% math), and eighth graders are right behind them. This is a school on a clear upward trend.

Day-to-day attendance is strong at nearly 96%, comfortably above the district average, though the reported chronic absenteeism figure of roughly 90% is striking and worth probing with the school directly. On the survey side, families are deeply engaged — 97% responded and parent-principal trust sits at 95% — and teachers report 100% on safety. The softer signal is internal: teacher collegial trust is only 66% and teacher-principal trust is 73%, suggesting the staff culture may not be as cohesive as the family-facing one.

Eighty-five percent of Forte students are Hispanic, with smaller Black, Asian, and White populations, and the school draws from a neighborhood where the median household income is in the high-$60,000s and most families rent. Twenty-four percent of students have IEPs and the economic need index is 82.5%, both signaling a student body with significant support needs. Day-to-day, this looks like a predominantly working-class Hispanic community whose families are heavily invested in the school.

Elmhurst is one of Queens' densest, most family-filled neighborhoods, with nearly a quarter of households including children and a homeownership rate of just 27%. The median home value sits around $693,000, well above the citywide median, but most residents are renters working middle-income jobs — over 11% live below the poverty line. About 30% of neighborhood adults hold a bachelor's degree, so families here span a real mix of educational backgrounds and expectations for their kids.

The school is essentially at Grand Av-Newtown station (M, R lines) — about a one-minute walk — with Elmhurst Av and Woodhaven Blvd on the same lines both within roughly ten minutes on foot.