Motley
District 3030

Motion Picture Technical High School

53-16 Northern Boulevard

At a Glance

A small, film-focused public high school in Sunnyside serving just grades 9 and 10

Best suited for

Families seeking a small, intimate high school experience with a film-production specialization who are comfortable planning a transition to another school after 10th grade

What stands out

  • Serves only grades 9 and 10 plus a special education cohort — one of the smallest public high school footprints in the district
  • Motion picture technical specialization embedded in the school's name and identity
  • Parent trust scores near the ceiling (99% parent-teacher, 96% parent-principal)
  • Survey community is small enough (30 families, 16 teachers) that most stakeholders likely know one another

Things to consider

  • Only goes through 10th grade — families need a clear plan for 11th and 12th grade
  • Teacher-reported instruction quality (78%) trails the district average (91%) by a wide margin
  • As a specialized technical school, the academic profile may differ from a traditional college-prep track
  • Survey response rates are low (17% of families, 16 teachers), so the data reflects a small subset of the community

Based on 2025 data

School SummaryDistrict 30

District 30 includes some of Queens' most sought-after schools — The 30th Avenue School, Baccalaureate School for Global Education, and P.S. 234 — though most listed peer schools are elementary programs. Motion Picture Technical sits in a different niche: a small specialized high school rather than a selective or zoned K-8 option, and the comparison is mostly one of geography rather than academic profile.

Academics

Limited data

School-specific proficiency figures aren't reported in the available data, but teacher-reported instruction quality lands at 78% — well below the district average of 91%. The school stops at grade 10, so the academic program is built around a shorter runway than a typical four-year high school. Given the motion picture technical focus embedded in the school's name, families should expect coursework weighted toward media production alongside required credits.

Culture

moderate

Parents love this school. Parent-teacher trust sits at 99% and parent-principal trust at 96% — both near the ceiling — and overall parent satisfaction is 91%, essentially matching the district average of 93%. Teachers tell a more mixed story: only 78% rate instruction quality positively, and teacher-principal trust is at 83%, suggesting some friction between staff and leadership. The day-to-day feel is one where families feel deeply heard, but the adults in the building are less uniformly enthusiastic.

Community

Survey response counts (30 families, 16 teachers) confirm this is a genuinely small school community where most families and staff likely know one another personally. The surrounding Sunnyside area draws a mix of working-class and middle-income households, with 44.2% of adult residents holding a bachelor's degree and 17.0% of households including children — a moderate family density that supports a tight parent network without overwhelming it.

Neighborhood

Sunnyside

Sunnyside is a working- and middle-class Queens neighborhood where most adults rent (homeownership is just 21.7%) and the median household income is $78,147, with a 12.0% poverty rate. About 44.2% of adult residents hold a bachelor's degree, and 17.0% of households include children. The area has long been one of western Queens' more transit-friendly, mixed-income pockets.

Three subway stops are within about a 10-minute walk: the 7 train at 52nd Street and at 46th Street–Bliss Street, plus the M and R lines at 46th Street. Most families can reach school without a car.

Survey Results

Family Feedback
Satisfaction
91%
Teacher Trust
99%
Principal Trust
96%
Relationships
n/a
Teacher Perspective
Instruction
78%
Principal Trust
83%
Collegial Trust
83%
Safety
n/a

NYC School Survey (2025) · 30 families responded (17% rate)

How to get in, step by step

High school (9th grade)

High school is one citywide application, made in 8th grade. We don't have Motion Picture Technical High School's program list, so read how each of its programs admits on MySchools before you rank it.

High school application

Opened
Tue, Oct 6
Closes
Fri, Dec 4
Offers
Wed, Mar 3

The DOE’s published dates.

  1. 1Apply on MySchools during the high school application, in 8th grade.
  2. 2Rank 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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Motion Picture Technical High School a good school?
Published quality ratings aren't available for Motion Picture Technical High School yet on Motley. It's a public school serving grades 9 to 10 in Sunnyside.
What grades does Motion Picture Technical High School serve?
Motion Picture Technical High School serves grades 9 to 10.
Is Motion Picture Technical High School public, charter, or private?
Motion Picture Technical High School is a public school in NYC Community School District 30.
What neighborhood is Motion Picture Technical High School in?
Motion Picture Technical High School is in Sunnyside, Queens.