P.S. 031 William T. Davis

The test-score story here is one of the more striking turnarounds in District 31. ELA proficiency went from 10.8% in 2016 to 44.3% in 2025, with the steepest gains in the last two years (29.4% to 44.3%); math climbed from 9.4% to 38.3% over the same span. That puts current ELA roughly 17 points below the district average of 61% and math about 23 points below — so the school is still catching up rather than leading. The trajectory, though, is unmistakable, and Grade 4 ELA at 51.2% suggests older students are making real progress before leaving the building.

The day-to-day feel here is unusually warm for a school under economic pressure. 100% of family and staff respondents agreed there are strong adult relationships in the building, 95% of parents trust their child's teacher, and 91% are satisfied overall — community feedback this strong is rare. The caveats are real: teacher-reported safety sits at 80% (vs. the district's 94.8%), teacher ratings of instruction quality are 86% (vs. 93% district), and chronic absenteeism at 49.1% means about half the students miss 10% or more of school days. Discipline is calm — only 1 suspension last year — but the attendance gap is the climate issue parents should ask about.

The student body is roughly 46% Black, 44% Hispanic, with smaller shares of White, multiracial, Asian, and Native American students — a much more diverse mix than the surrounding neighborhood would suggest on its own. The economic need index of 92.2% places this among the higher-need schools in the borough, and that reality is visible in the PTA: just $1 raised per student last year, compared to a district average of about $141. IEP enrollment at 27% is meaningfully above city norms and reflects an inclusive culture more than a problem to fix.

St. George-New Brighton is a North Shore neighborhood where the median household income is about $73,000, the poverty rate is 19.5%, and only 13% of households have children — which partly explains why a modest school enrollment of 338 students can carry so much. Just over a third of homes are owner-occupied and median home values around $556,000 sit below borough norms, signs of an area that has seen reinvestment but isn't yet a premium market. Many families who move here are drawn by the Staten Island Ferry commute and the neighborhood's relative affordability.

Subway access means a walk — Tompkinsville and St George on the Staten Island Railway are each roughly a 13–14 minute walk from the school, so most families arrive by car, bus, or on foot from local blocks.