P.S. 023 Richmondtown

Both ELA and math proficiency sit roughly 20+ percentage points above the district average, and the trajectory is clearly upward: ELA moved from 60.4% in 2016 to 82.7% in 2025, while math climbed from 69.4% to 88.2%. The 2025 jump in ELA (72.6% to 82.7%) is the largest single-year gain in the dataset. Grade 3 math proficiency of 93.5% and Grade 5 math at 92.1% are standout, while Grade 4 math at 77.8% is the only mild dip in an otherwise remarkable picture.

The day-to-day feel here, by every measure teachers and families are asked about, is overwhelmingly positive: 100% of teachers report strong collegial trust and trust in their principal, 98% of parents trust their child's teacher, and 100% of teachers report feeling safe. With zero suspensions across three years, discipline isn't a story here at all. The one number that gives pause is chronic absenteeism at 84.5% — meaning most students miss enough school to be flagged as chronically absent, even though the school itself reports a 94.1% attendance rate. That's worth asking about directly: do kids show up ready to learn, and what's driving the chronic-absence figure in a school where families are clearly engaged?

The student body is 67% white, 16% Asian, 15% Hispanic, 2% multiracial, with no Black students enrolled — a profile that largely mirrors the surrounding neighborhood, which is largely white and Asian-American with a smaller Hispanic presence. With 24% of students on IEPs, the special education population is meaningfully represented and the school clearly supports a real range of learners.

Oakwood-Richmondtown is a quieter, more suburban stretch of Staten Island: median household income of $107,562 and a poverty rate of just 7.7%, with 69% of households owning their homes (median value around $649,000). About a quarter of households have children under 18, which roughly lines up with the share of families feeding into this zoned school. The neighborhood has a stable, long-tenured feel — many of these families bought in years ago and have stayed.

There's no real subway to speak of here — only the Staten Island Railway. Families can walk to the Oakwood Heights SIR stop in about 11 minutes, or to New Dorp SIR in roughly 18 minutes. Most P.S. 023 families likely drive.