At a Glance
An Inwood elementary where test scores are on a steady climb and families consistently report feeling heard
Best suited for
Families living in the zone who prioritize strong home-school relationships over headline test scores, particularly Spanish-speaking households looking for a school that reflects their own community and values family voice
Overall Rating
Rating = average of NY State ELA + math proficiency, grades 3–8
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 for three consecutive years — a mark of a calm, well-handled school environment
- Parent trust scores at near-ceiling levels (98% parent-teacher trust, 97% parent-principal trust)
- A clear upward academic trajectory, with math proficiency more than doubling since 2016
- 100% of surveyed families report strong relationships at the school
Things to consider
- ELA proficiency remains well below the district average, and the overall 1.36/4 score trails most peers
- Chronic absenteeism at 58% is very high and likely affects instructional continuity
- PTA fundraising is minimal at $1 per student, so enrichment relies heavily on the school budget
- Diversity index is low — families seeking a more mixed demographic environment may need to look elsewhere
Based on 2025 data
School SummaryDistrict 6
P.S. 5 sits below the District 6 average on every measured academic metric and well below its top peers like Zeta Charter Schools - Inwood (93/100) and Success Academy Washington Heights (90/100). Among zoned elementaries serving similar populations, it ranks as a community-rich but academically lagging option.
Academics
Test scores sit well below the District 6 average — 28.7% ELA proficiency versus a district average of roughly 47%, and 39.2% math versus about 52%. The overall quality score of 1.36/4 trails the district's 1.98. But the trend line is the more interesting story: ELA has nearly doubled since 2016 (15.7% to 28.7%) and math has more than doubled (18.1% to 39.2%), with a clear post-pandemic dip and a sharp rebound in 2024 and 2025. Students here are catching up, not leading — and they're catching up fast.
Culture
The day-to-day feel is unusually calm: zero suspensions over three consecutive years is rare for any public elementary. Parents give the school near-universal marks — 95% satisfaction, 98% parent-teacher trust, 97% parent-principal trust, and 100% report strong relationships. Teachers feel safe (97%) and trust their principal (90%), though their assessment of instructional quality (88%) sits just below the district average of 90%. The real concern is attendance: only 88.7% of students attend regularly, and 58.2% are chronically absent — meaning more than half miss enough school to be flagged.
Community
P.S. 5 serves a community that is overwhelmingly Hispanic (90%), with 8% Black students and very few from other groups. The diversity index of 22% reflects this concentration — most classrooms look like the neighborhood. With an economic need index of 89.7 (roughly 9 in 10 students qualify for free lunch) and 26% of students having IEPs, the school serves a high-need population. PTA fundraising is minimal at just $1 per student, compared to a district average of $52 — supplemental family contributions are not a meaningful resource here.
Neighborhood
Inwood, at the northern tip of Manhattan, is a working- and middle-class neighborhood where about 15% of residents live below the poverty line and median household income sits around $63,123. Roughly 15% of households include children, and 40% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Homeownership is very low at just 9.2%, meaning most families rent. This is a community with deep roots and a strong Latino presence that closely mirrors the school's enrollment.
The 1 train serves three nearby stations: Dyckman St is about a 6-minute walk, 191 St about 9 minutes, and 207 St about 11 minutes.
Academic Performance
ELA Proficiency
Students scoring proficient or above on the NY State ELA exam.
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Math Proficiency
Students scoring proficient or above on the NY State Math exam.
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Historical Trends
The dashed line marks 2023, when New York changed its grades 3–8 state tests. Scores before and after it aren’t directly comparable.
2020–2021 data unavailable due to COVID-19
Source: NYC DOE School Quality Reports
Survey Results
NYC School Survey (2025) · 366 families responded (87% rate)
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
PTA Fundraising
Source: DOE Local Law 171 disclosure
Discipline
NYSED Student & Educator Database (2023-24)
Economic Need & Special Populations
How to get in, step by step
Pre-K
P.S. 005 Ellen Lurie also has Pre-K classes. They're a separate application from kindergarten, made on MySchools.
Pre-K application
Applications typically open in the winter and close in the spring, with offers in late spring; the city announces exact dates each year.
Kindergarten
P.S. 005 Ellen Lurie has an attendance zone. At elementary level, in-zone students get a guaranteed seat. Every family still applies on MySchools: the application confirms the zoned seat, and ranking other schools doesn't cost you it.
Kindergarten application
- Opens
- Wed, Dec 9
- Closes
- Fri, Jan 22
- Offers
- Tue, Mar 30
The DOE’s published dates.
- 1Check that your address is inside the zone — zones change, so confirm it before you sign a lease.
- 2Apply during the kindergarten application, even with a zoned seat.
- 3Rank this school along with any others you'd take, in true preference order.
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 P.S. 005 Ellen Lurie a good school?
- On Motley, P.S. 005 Ellen Lurie earns an overall rating of 34/100 — the average of the school's New York State ELA and math proficiency, grades 3–8, shown out of 100. Its state test results run below the District 6 average.
- What grades does P.S. 005 Ellen Lurie serve?
- P.S. 005 Ellen Lurie serves grades Pre-K to 5.
- How do students get into P.S. 005 Ellen Lurie?
- P.S. 005 Ellen Lurie admits by zone — children who live in its attendance zone get a guaranteed seat.
- Is P.S. 005 Ellen Lurie public, charter, or private?
- P.S. 005 Ellen Lurie is a public school in NYC Community School District 6.
- What neighborhood is P.S. 005 Ellen Lurie in?
- P.S. 005 Ellen Lurie is in Inwood, Manhattan.