I.S. 061 Leonardo Da Vinci

Proficiency rates run below the District 24 average: 32% in ELA and 32.8% in math, compared to district averages of roughly 51% and 55%. The overall quality score of 1.3 out of 4 also trails the district's 2.1. But the trend line is genuinely encouraging — math proficiency has climbed from 22.6% in 2016 to 32.8% in 2025, nearly a 50% relative gain, even with year-to-year wobbles. ELA has moved up more modestly, from 23.6% to 32%. The 2025 cohort shows 8th graders outperforming 6th graders in ELA (38.4% vs 26.8%), suggesting students gain ground the longer they're here. The school also offers an Accelerated/Honors track, which gives high-performing kids a chance to stretch beyond the standard curriculum.

Parents clearly like this school — 92% report satisfaction and 95% say they trust both their child's teacher and the principal, which is notable in a school this size where personal connection can be hard to maintain. Teachers also report strong trust in the principal (89%) and high marks for instructional quality (91%). The big caveat is chronic absenteeism: 68.5% of students miss enough school to qualify as chronically absent, far above the district norm. Attendance overall sits at 91.2%, just below the district's 92.7%. Discipline is the other trend worth watching — suspensions have roughly doubled over three years, from 16 in 2021-22 to 35 in 2023-24, and the suspension rate of 2% is higher than the district average of 0.2%. Day-to-day, teachers feel supported by leadership and families feel heard, but getting kids in the building consistently is a real struggle.

The student body is overwhelmingly Hispanic (94%), with small Asian (3%), Black (2%), and White (1%) populations — the diversity index sits at just 16%, reflecting this concentration. That mirrors the surrounding Corona neighborhood, which has long been a landing place for Latin American immigrant families. The economic need index of 88.1 confirms what the demographics suggest: most families are working-class or lower-income. About 21% of students have IEPs and ELL support is offered, so the school is built to serve a population with significant language and learning needs. PTA fundraising totals about $15 per student — less than half the district average — which reflects the economic realities of the families it serves.

Corona is a densely populated, family-oriented Queens neighborhood where nearly a quarter of households include children and most homes are rentals rather than owned (22.1% homeownership). Median household income is $66,388, the poverty rate sits at 17.9%, and only about 16% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher — a working-class community built around working families. The neighborhood has a deep Latino cultural identity and is one of the most family-dense parts of Queens. Getting around without a car means leaning on the 7 train, which runs along the neighborhood's main corridor.

Three subway options are within a 12-14 minute walk: the 103 St-Corona Plaza station (7 train), the Junction Blvd station (7 train), and the Woodhaven Blvd station (M and R lines). Most families likely walk or take local buses given the dense residential layout around the school.