P.S. 022 Graniteville

Test scores remain well below District 31 averages (district ELA ~61%, math ~61%), but the 2025 numbers are the strongest in this school's eight-year history — ELA climbed to 48.7% from 35.2% the prior year, and math rose to 47% from 41.5%. The trend is clearly upward after a dip in 2022, though it has been volatile year to year. There's a notable spread across grades: third graders test far lower (34% ELA, 33% math) than fifth graders (57% ELA, 57% math), suggesting either real growth as students mature or uneven readiness among the youngest test-takers.

The day-to-day feel at P.S. 022 sounds notably warm — 100% of surveyed staff agree students have strong relationships, 96% of teachers report feeling safe, and parent-teacher trust hits 96%. Parent satisfaction (93%) is right at the district average, and discipline is essentially a non-issue with zero suspensions in each of the past three years. The contradiction is attendance: the 89.9% rate is slightly below the district's 91.4%, and chronic absenteeism runs at a striking 62.3%, hitting every demographic group hard (White and Asian students actually miss more days than Hispanic and Black peers). That gap between warm climate and weak attendance is the story here.

The student body is 61% Hispanic, 20% Black, and roughly 8% each Asian and White, with 32% of students classified as IEP and an economic need index of 76.9, meaning roughly three out of four students are considered economically disadvantaged. PTA fundraising tells its own story: about $30 per student for the year, compared to a district average of $141, so parent organizations are stretched thin. The 250 family survey responses, however, suggest a sizable engaged core despite the limited dollars.

The Graniteville neighborhood of Staten Island has a median household income of about $85,200, a 15.2% poverty rate, and 65% homeownership — solidly middle-income by city standards, though not by Staten Island norms. Households with children make up roughly a fifth of residents, and about 28% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. It's a stable, family-rooted area where many neighbors own their homes.

There are no subway stations within a 20-minute walk of the school, so most families arrive by car or school bus — this is a car-dependent part of Staten Island.