P.S. 048 William G. Wilcox

With ELA at 72.8% and math at 73.6%, P.S. 048 sits comfortably above District 31 averages of roughly 61% in both subjects. Math has been the steadier climber — moving from 64.3% in 2016 to a sustained 73%+ band over the last three years, a gain of about nine percentage points. ELA has been more volatile, bouncing between 63% and 70% for most of the past decade before jumping to 72.8% in the most recent year. Science proficiency at 83.2% rounds out a solid academic picture.

The survey results here are remarkably strong: 100% of teachers report the school is safe, 97% rate instruction quality positively, and parent-principal trust sits at 98%. Discipline is essentially a non-issue, with zero suspensions last year, down from three the year before. Average daily attendance is a healthy 93.9%, above the district average. The one number that gives pause is the 83.8% chronic absenteeism figure — a striking number alongside otherwise positive climate signals, and worth asking the school directly about how it's tracked and what's driving it. Notably, chronic absenteeism runs highest among White (88%) and Asian (89.9%) students, an unusual pattern that flips the typical disparity.

P.S. 048's 950 students skew White (48%) and Asian (27%), with Hispanic (18%) and Black (5%) populations making up the rest. The economic need index of 45 reflects a relatively middle-class enrollment that mirrors the surrounding neighborhood's median household income of $81,734. About one in five students has an IEP, and ELL Support is available for the smaller Hispanic and Asian language-minority populations. The diversity index of 70% puts the school in solidly diverse territory rather than majority-white or majority-minority.

The Grasmere-Arrochar-South Beach-Dongan Hills area is a stable, middle-class stretch of southern Staten Island where nearly two-thirds of homes are owner-occupied and the median home value tops $650,000. About 20% of households have children under 18, a healthy share that supports a real elementary-age population, and 31.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The poverty rate of 10.2% is modest for New York City, and the area reads as suburban-residential rather than dense urban.

Families can reach the school via the Staten Island Railway — Grasmere station is about an 8-minute walk away, and Old Town station is roughly 11 minutes on foot. There is no nearby main-line subway service, so most commuters will rely on the SIR, local buses, or driving.