P.S. 038 The Pacific

Test scores at P.S. 038 have climbed steadily over the past nine years — ELA jumped from 49.3% in 2016 to 78% in 2025, and Math from 48% to 76.3% over the same period. Both subjects now sit well above the District 15 averages (65.5% ELA, 63.3% Math), and the overall score of 3.09 outpaces the district average of 2.58. Grade 3 performance stands out particularly, with 84.6% ELA and 92.2% Math proficiency. The trajectory is impressive — this is a school that's been getting measurably better at teaching, not just serving an already high-performing slice of students.

Parents love this school — 95% report satisfaction, 98% trust teachers, and 100% say strong relationships are part of the experience. Teachers themselves rate instruction quality at 97%, and 94% feel safe. But there's a striking red flag: only 22% of teachers trust the principal, while 96% trust their colleagues. This is a significant divide — families feel heard, but the people in the building don't all feel the same way. The attendance picture is also complicated: 92.2% average attendance sounds fine, but the 75.3% chronic absenteeism rate is very high. Discipline is excellent — zero suspensions for two years running — so behavior isn't driving absences. It may be a neighborhood pattern or a reflection of how families in this area engage with school.

The student body is genuinely diverse — roughly equal quarters Black, Hispanic, White, and Asian, with 10% multiracial and an 88% diversity index. This reflects the neighborhood's mixed demographics, which skew highly educated (73.3% BA+) and high-income ($150K median) but still include 15.5% poverty. At 15% IEP students, the school serves a typical range of learners. PTA fundraising of $289 per student is below the district average of $491 — interesting given the neighborhood's affluence, suggesting either less fundraising push or different priorities.

This is a neighborhood of sharp contrasts. The transit score is nearly perfect at 98 — getting around without a car is easy. The education orientation is strong at 85, matching the high parent attainment. But safety scores only 21 out of 100, and the stability score is nearly nonexistent at just 5 — this is a transient, changing area. Median home values hit $1.46 million, and only 26% of residents own — it's a professional, mobile, renting-heavy community. Families with children make up 15% of households, which is relatively low but reflects the young professional character.

Highly walkable and transit-accessible — families typically walk or take the subway, given the neighborhood's urban character and near-perfect transit score