P.S. 035 Nathaniel Woodhull

P.S. 035's academic trajectory is one of the more dramatic turnarounds in District 29. Math proficiency climbed from 26.7% in 2016 to 69.2% in 2025 — well above the district average of 53.7%. ELA proficiency, after dipping to 39.9% in 2024, rebounded to 57.4% in 2025, edging above the district's 56.9%. Grade-level results are consistent across grades 3–5, with fourth-grade math particularly strong at 73.9%.

The day-to-day feel is parent-friendly but teacher-strained. On the parent side, 91% are satisfied, 98% trust their child's teacher, and 98% trust the principal — near-perfect marks. On the staff side, only 36% of teachers report trusting the principal and just 72% rate instruction quality positively, well below the district average of 88%. Zero suspensions across three years points to a calm, restorative approach. Chronic absenteeism at 55.3% is a real concern, even as the daily attendance rate sits at a respectable 88.9%.

P.S. 035 serves a student body that's more than 90% Black, Hispanic, or Asian, with Native American students making up a notable 7% — uncommon for an NYC public school, often reflecting Caribbean and Central American heritage in southeast Queens. About 70% of students qualify for economic need, signaling meaningful diversity of family resources. The surrounding Hollis community is more economically comfortable — median income near $87K and majority owner-occupied — so the school bridges a working-class student body with a stable middle-class neighborhood.

Hollis is a largely owner-occupied Queens neighborhood where more than half of households own their homes and the median property value sits around $685,000. Families make up a smaller share of households (15.4%) than in denser parts of the borough, but those who live here tend to have established roots. The area is predominantly middle-income with relatively low poverty, supported by a 26.5% rate of college-educated adults.

The closest subway is the F at Jamaica-179 St, about a 16-minute walk from the school — most families will drive, bus, or arrange a carpool rather than rely on the train.