At a Glance
A tight-knit Queens high school where trust runs unusually deep — and 295 families compete for 92 seats
Best suited for
Families looking for a smaller, relationship-driven high school with strong parent trust signals and minimal discipline issues, who don't need publicly reported test scores to feel comfortable with their choice.
Overall Rating
Rating = average of 4-year graduation, English Regents college-ready and Regents completion · DOE 2025 report
Bands are Motley's thresholds on a 0–100 scale, not New York State performance levels.
How this is scored→What stands out
- Zero suspensions across the entire student body — exceptionally rare in District 28
- 100% teacher-principal trust and 98% parent-principal trust, both well above district averages
- 295 applicants competing for 92 seats, a roughly 3-to-1 demand ratio
- 21+ varsity sports including unusual offerings like cricket, fencing, double dutch, and lacrosse
- A genuinely mixed student body with three communities (Hispanic, Black, Asian) each representing roughly a quarter or more of enrollment
Things to consider
- PTA raised just $684 total (about $1/student) versus a district average of $165/student — fundraising capacity is unusually thin
- No publicly reported ELA or math proficiency scores, so academic outcomes are hard to gauge from the data
- Family survey response rate was only 19%, meaning the strong parent satisfaction numbers reflect a self-selected group
- Class size of 24.5 sits right at the district average — nothing distinctive either way
- Economic need index of 66.8% means most students come from low-income households, despite the middle-class surrounding neighborhood
Based on 2024-25 data
School SummaryDistrict 28
This is a District 28 high school; most listed peers are elementary schools, with The Academy for Excellence through the Arts as the closest comparable high school. The school's climate metrics exceed district averages across the board, and the zero-suspension record is unusual for the district.
Academics
No ELA, math, or science proficiency data is reported for this school, so direct comparison to the district's roughly 63% averages isn't possible. The course catalog includes AP courses, French, Spanish, and ELL support, suggesting a general-track program with college-prep options. Seventeen percent of students have IEPs, and with no tested outcomes on record, families will want to ask directly about graduation rates and postsecondary placement.
Culture
The climate here is the headline. 100% of teachers say they trust the principal, 97% rate instruction quality highly, and parents give the school a 94% satisfaction mark — all above district averages in the low-90s. Zero suspensions across the whole student body is unusual in a district where the average rate is about 0.37%. Two honest notes: only 19% of families responded to the survey, and only 32 teachers did — so the strong numbers come from a self-selected slice of the community rather than a full census.
Community
With 458 students and a 75% diversity index, the body reflects a real mix: 34% Hispanic, 30% Black, 24% Asian, and smaller shares of White, Multi-Racial, and Native American students. The economic need index of 66.8% is on the higher side, meaning most students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The surrounding Jamaica Hills-Briarwood neighborhood is middle-income, with just under a quarter of households containing children — a steady family presence that helps explain why 295 families applied for 92 seats.
Neighborhood
Jamaica Hills-Briarwood is a middle-class Queens neighborhood where about 23% of households have children and roughly 40% of homes are owner-occupied, with a median home value around $612K. Poverty sits at 13.4% — well below city averages — and 44% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The area has a steady family population and a quiet residential feel, with the closest subway access just a short walk from the school.
Families can reach the school via the F train at 169 St (about an 8-minute walk) or Parsons Blvd (about 11 minutes); Jamaica Center-Parsons/Archer on the E, J, and Z lines is about an 18-minute walk.
Survey Results
NYC School Survey (2025) · 89 families responded (19% rate)
Programs & Activities
Admissions Demand
Introduction to cooking and baking.
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
PTA Fundraising
Source: DOE Local Law 171 disclosure
Discipline
NYSED Student & Educator Database
Economic Need & Special Populations
How to get in, step by step
High school (9th grade)
High school is one citywide application, made in 8th grade. High School for Community Leadership admits through one program, and each one has its own admissions method:
- High School for Community LeadershipEd. Opt.
High school application
- Opened
- Tue, Oct 6
- Closes
- Fri, Dec 4
- Offers
- Wed, Mar 3
The DOE’s published dates.
- 1Apply on MySchools during the high school application, in 8th grade.
- 2Educational Option programs fill in equal shares across three reading levels, half by the school's ranking and half by lottery.
- 3Rank programs in true preference order — the match places your child in the highest-ranked one that offers a seat.
Open houses and tours
We haven’t seen open-house dates for this school yet.
From the MySchools admissions calendar, checked weekly.
Make this school part of your plan
Everything on this page is yours to read. An account keeps your research in one place.
No credit card required
Compare head-to-head
Explore nearby
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is High School for Community Leadership a good school?
- On Motley, High School for Community Leadership earns an overall rating of 87/100 — the average of the school's four-year graduation rate, the share of its students scoring college-ready (70+) on the English Regents, and its Regents completion rate, shown out of 100.
- What grades does High School for Community Leadership serve?
- High School for Community Leadership serves grades 9 to 12.
- How do students get into High School for Community Leadership?
- High School for Community Leadership uses the Educational Option (Ed-Opt) method, ranking applicants across performance levels so seats go to a mix of abilities.
- Is High School for Community Leadership public, charter, or private?
- High School for Community Leadership is a public school in NYC Community School District 28.
- What neighborhood is High School for Community Leadership in?
- High School for Community Leadership is in Jamaica Hills-Briarwood, Queens.