At a Glance
A tiny progressive elementary school on the Upper West Side where occupational, speech, and physical therapy are baked into the school day
Best suited for
Families seeking a small, child-centered progressive elementary school — particularly those whose children benefit from integrated OT, PT, or speech support, or who value genuine demographic diversity over polish.
What stands out
- On-site occupational, physical, speech, art/music therapy, adaptive PE, and yoga are built into the school day — a model most private elementary schools don't offer.
- With only 118 students and a 7.4:1 ratio, instruction can be genuinely tailored rather than merely marketed as small.
- A 0.90 diversity index makes this one of the more demographically varied private elementary schools on the Upper West Side.
- The progressive, process-over-product orientation resists the acceleration and test-prep pressures common at this age.
Things to consider
- Parent reviews are mixed: some families praise the small, data-informed, individualized approach, while others report staff turnover, understaffing, and communication gaps — visit and ask specifically about current staffing and turnover.
- At 118 students across seven grade bands, the school likely offers a narrower extracurricular menu than larger private competitors.
- The therapy-integrated model may or may not be the right fit for a child who doesn't want or need embedded support services.
- Tuition and financial aid details are not in the available data and should be confirmed directly with the school.
Identity
A nonsectarian, coed combined elementary school serving PK through 5th grade in a small, progressive model that emphasizes the whole child, balance between teacher- and student-initiated learning, and collaborative exploration. The school's therapy-heavy program suggests a design intended to support a broad range of learners, not just one narrow profile.
Community
At 118 students, Manhattan Star is one of the smaller private elementary programs in the neighborhood, and its demographics run notably diverse — 38% White, 25% Hispanic, 18% Black, 14% multiracial, and 5% Asian, with an overall diversity index of 0.90, well above the typical city private-school average. The mix reflects families from many backgrounds rather than the more homogeneous profile you often see in this part of Manhattan.
Neighborhood
The Upper West Side-Lincoln Square area around the school has a median household income of about $162,000 and a bachelor's-or-higher rate of 83%, a wealthy and highly educated neighborhood by city standards. The 8.9% poverty rate is low relative to Manhattan as a whole. The area is anchored by Lincoln Center and the cluster of residential blocks just west of Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues.
The 72 St (1, 2, 3) station is roughly a four-minute walk, the 66 St-Lincoln Center (1) stop about five minutes, and the 72 St (C, B) station around eight minutes — three good options covering most subway lines.
Notable Programs
What Parents Are Saying
Mixed reviews - one highly positive 5-star review praises small class sizes, a data-driven behavioral approach, and tailored teaching; negative reviews cite high turnover, understaffing, and communication issues.
Synthesized from public parent reviews · Apr 2026
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is MANHATTAN STAR ACADEMY a good school?
- Published quality ratings aren't available for MANHATTAN STAR ACADEMY yet on Motley. It's a private school serving grades Pre-K to 5 in Upper West Side-Lincoln Square.
- What grades does MANHATTAN STAR ACADEMY serve?
- MANHATTAN STAR ACADEMY serves grades Pre-K to 5.
- How do students get into MANHATTAN STAR ACADEMY?
- MANHATTAN STAR ACADEMY runs its own private admissions process — typically an application, a visit, and sometimes testing.
- Is MANHATTAN STAR ACADEMY public, charter, or private?
- MANHATTAN STAR ACADEMY is a private school.
- What neighborhood is MANHATTAN STAR ACADEMY in?
- MANHATTAN STAR ACADEMY is in Upper West Side-Lincoln Square, Manhattan.