P.S. 031 Bayside

ELA proficiency of 60.6% runs about 15 points below the District 26 average of 75.8%, while math proficiency of 70.3% trails the district's 80.2% by roughly 10 points. Both subjects have generally improved since 2016 — when ELA was 52.8% and math 62.1% — but the path has been uneven, with a notable math dip from 82.8% in 2023 to 69.3% in 2024 before partial recovery in 2025. The picture is steady improvement on a lower baseline, not a leading local program.

Adults at this school clearly trust one another: 100% of teachers report collegial trust and strong relationships, parent-principal trust hits 97%, and teacher-reported safety is 98%. Discipline is essentially a non-issue with zero suspensions over the last three reported years. The unresolved challenge is chronic absenteeism at 76.2% — far above the district norm — meaning roughly three out of four students miss 10% or more of the school year. Within the school, Asian students show the highest chronic absenteeism rate (93.4%) and Hispanic students the lowest (54.2%), a pattern worth raising with the school directly.

Just over half of students are Asian (54%), with Hispanic students making up 26%, White 13%, and Black 4% — a mix that mirrors Bayside's broader family-oriented, middle-class character. The economic need index sits at 49, suggesting a meaningful working-to-middle-class population alongside families with more means. The PTA raises about $36 per student, well under the district average of roughly $96, which can translate into leaner budgets for enrichment, field trips, and supplemental programs.

Bayside is one of Queens' more established, owner-occupied neighborhoods, with median household income around $105,000, an 8.7% poverty rate, and nearly two-thirds of households owning their homes — the kind of community where families often put down roots for the long haul. Roughly 47% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the median home value sits near $957,000, signaling both stability and a high bar to entry for newcomers. With no subway stations within a 20-minute walk, daily life tends to revolve around driving, school buses, or local bus routes.

The school is beyond a 20-minute walk from any subway station, so most families rely on school buses, local buses, or driving to get to and from school each day.