P.S. 038 Rosedale

This is one of the stronger-performing zoned schools in the district. The 71.6% ELA proficiency rate is about 15 percentage points above the District 29 average of 56.9%, and the 65.1% math proficiency rate is roughly 11 points above the district's 53.7%. The improvement trajectory is striking: ELA proficiency rose from 44.7% in 2016 to 71.6% in 2025, and math climbed from 33.3% to 65.1% over the same period. By grade 5, 81.6% of students are meeting ELA standards — the school's strongest showing — while grade 3 math and grade 4 ELA are more modest.

The day-to-day feel here is unusually calm and family-connected. Zero suspensions in each of the last three years is remarkable and reflects a non-punitive school culture. Parents give the school exceptionally high marks: 93% satisfaction, 99% trust in teachers, and 96% trust in the principal — the kind of numbers you rarely see together. Teachers rate instruction quality at 97%, well above the district average of 88%, and report feeling safe at 92%. The one notable gap is chronic absenteeism at 59.7% — high for the school and well above typical rates — meaning a majority of students miss 10% or more of school days each year, which can quietly erode all that academic progress. Teacher collegial trust at 76% is the weakest of the survey indicators, suggesting some friction among staff even as they feel good about leadership and instruction.

The student body is 76% Black, 14% Hispanic, 6% Asian, and small percentages of White and multiracial students — a diversity index of 46%. Eighteen percent of students have IEPs, and the economic need index of 60.5% indicates a moderate-to-high share of students from lower-income households. This profile doesn't perfectly track the surrounding Rosedale neighborhood, which is solidly middle-class with a median household income around $103,000 and a 9% poverty rate, suggesting the school draws some families from outside the immediate zone or serves a more economically mixed population than the census tract alone would suggest.

Rosedale is a quiet, largely residential pocket of southeastern Queens where homeownership is the norm at 67.3% and the median home value sits around $614,000 — higher than many NYC neighborhoods. Households with children make up 15.8% of the area, and 29.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The 9% poverty rate is below the citywide figure. This is a stable, family-oriented community where most people have put down roots, and the school reflects that settled character.

There are no subway stations within a 20-minute walk of the school, so families almost certainly arrive by car, school bus, or local bus routes. This is not a walk-to-school neighborhood for most families.