P.S. 042 Eltingville

Math proficiency at 71.1% sits about 10 points above the district average of 61%, and the trajectory tells a steadier story than the headline number suggests — math climbed from 55.9% in 2016 to 74.1% in 2024 before easing slightly this year. ELA at 70.8% is also well above the district's 61.3% average, and the 2025 reading score is the highest the school has recorded in the decade. Grade-by-grade breakdowns show 4th and 5th graders outperforming 3rd graders by 13-20 points, suggesting the school's instruction really kicks in once kids settle in. The overall quality score of 2.84/4 is meaningfully above the district's 2.45/4 average.

This is where P.S. 042 really shines. Teacher-reported safety is at 100%, parent-principal trust is 98%, and parent satisfaction sits at 94% — all comfortably above district averages. The school logged zero suspensions in 2023-24 and only four the year before, an unusually calm discipline picture for a school this size. Attendance is solid at 93.5%, but the chronic absenteeism rate of 78.2% is worth flagging: nearly 4 out of 5 students missed 10% or more of school days, which doesn't match the otherwise upbeat survey data. Day-to-day, this reads as a school where teachers trust leadership, families feel heard, and the hallways are orderly.

The student body is 65% White, 19% Asian, and 13% Hispanic, with a diversity index of 55% — moderate by city standards, though the neighborhood around the school is even more homogeneous than the building itself. With an economic need index of 34.6% (well below the citywide average), this serves a working- and middle-class population that mirrors the surrounding census tract: homeowners, two-parent households, BA+ educated adults. The 18% IEP share is close to the city norm, so special education services are clearly part of the everyday picture.

The Great Kills-Eltingville neighborhood is one of Staten Island's classic suburban-style enclaves — 80.5% homeownership, a median home value of $639,736, and a poverty rate under 7%. About a quarter of households have kids at home, and four in ten adults hold a bachelor's degree, painting a picture of educated, settled families. Median household income tops $119,000, well above the citywide median. The feel is residential, with single-family homes, driveways, and the kind of place where many families know each other from the block.

The Eltingville SIR station is about a 12-minute walk, with Annadale and Great Kills SIR stations each around 19 minutes away — most families drive or carpool rather than take the train.