At a Glance
A tight-knit early elementary school where families feel heard and the youngest learners get a calm start
Best suited for
Families with young children in the Richmond Hill zone who want a small, safe, community-feel elementary start and value relationships over test-driven academics — and who are ready to research their next-school options by second grade.
What stands out
- Zero suspensions across three consecutive years — a genuinely rare climate signal
- 100% of teachers report the school is safe, and 100% of parents report strong teacher relationships
- Small enrollment (189 students) creates a tight, family-like community where most parents know each other
- Serves the earliest elementary years, which means families get a calm, developmentally focused start rather than a test-prep environment
Things to consider
- Only goes through first grade — families will need to plan for a middle-school transition, and the K-1 experience doesn't tell you much about upper-grade academics
- Teacher trust in the principal (77%) lags noticeably behind parent trust (99%) — worth asking teachers directly at a tour
- PTA fundraising is low at about $44 per student versus a district average of $121, which can limit enrichment programs and field trips
- With only 17 teachers surveyed, climate data reflects a small staff and individual personalities carry more weight
Based on 2023-24 data
School SummaryDistrict 27
P.S. 051 sits in District 27 alongside some of the borough's stronger-rated charter and zoned options like Success Academy South Jamaica and Peninsula Preparatory. It's not competing on the same academic metrics because it stops at first grade, but on climate and family satisfaction it holds its own with any peer in the area.
Academics
P.S. 051 serves pre-K through first grade, so there are no state ELA or math proficiency scores to report — students here are too young for the third-grade tests that drive most school comparisons. What the data does show is a stable, low-stress environment with zero suspensions across three years and an average class size of about 23 students, right at the district average. The school's job at this stage is building early literacy, numeracy, and social-emotional foundations, and the near-universal parent satisfaction suggests families feel that's happening.
Culture
The day-to-day feel at P.S. 051 is warm and orderly. Teacher-reported safety is at 100%, and there have been zero suspensions in any of the last three years — well below the district average suspension rate of 0.5%. Parents overwhelmingly feel heard: 99% trust the principal and 100% report strong relationships with teachers. One honest note: teacher trust in the principal sits at 77%, noticeably below the parent-trust number, though with only 17 teachers responding it's a small sample. Attendance is solid but not exceptional, tracking close to the district average.
Community
The student body reflects Richmond Hill's blend: 52% Hispanic, 22% Asian, 14% White, 10% Black, with a diversity index of 71%. Three-quarters of students qualify for economic need, which is higher than you'd see in wealthier parts of Queens. With only 189 enrolled across PK, K, and first grade, the community is small enough that new families tend to plug in quickly — many parents describe it as feeling like a neighborhood school in the truest sense.
Neighborhood
Richmond Hill is a middle-income, family-oriented Queens neighborhood where about a quarter of households have children and homeownership sits near 47%. Median household income is around $78,000 and the poverty rate is under 12%, which lines up with a stable working-class-to-middle-class feel. The neighborhood's mix of South Asian, Caribbean, and Latino families is visible in the school's demographics, and the median home value near $785,000 tells you this is a place where people put down roots.
Families have three nearby subway options: the 121 St (J, Z) stop about a 5-minute walk, 111 St (J) about 6 minutes, and 104 St (J, Z) about 15 minutes away — solid J/Z access into Manhattan and Brooklyn
Survey Results
NYC School Survey (2025) · 115 families responded (63% rate)
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
PTA Fundraising
Source: DOE Local Law 171 disclosure
Discipline
NYSED Student & Educator Database (2023-24)
Economic Need & Special Populations
How to get in, step by step
Pre-K
P.S. 051 also has Pre-K classes. They're a separate application from kindergarten, made on MySchools.
Pre-K application
Applications typically open in the winter and close in the spring, with offers in late spring; the city announces exact dates each year.
Kindergarten
P.S. 051 has an attendance zone. At elementary level, in-zone students get a guaranteed seat. Every family still applies on MySchools: the application confirms the zoned seat, and ranking other schools doesn't cost you it.
Kindergarten application
- Opens
- Wed, Dec 9
- Closes
- Fri, Jan 22
- Offers
- Tue, Mar 30
The DOE’s published dates.
- 1Check that your address is inside the zone — zones change, so confirm it before you sign a lease.
- 2Apply during the kindergarten application, even with a zoned seat.
- 3Rank this school along with any others you'd take, in true preference order.
Open houses and tours
We haven’t seen open-house dates for this school yet.
From the MySchools admissions calendar, checked weekly.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is P.S. 051 a good school?
- Published quality ratings aren't available for P.S. 051 yet on Motley. It's a public school serving grades Pre-K to 1 in Richmond Hill.
- What grades does P.S. 051 serve?
- P.S. 051 serves grades Pre-K to 1.
- How do students get into P.S. 051?
- P.S. 051 admits by zone — children who live in its attendance zone get a guaranteed seat.
- Is P.S. 051 public, charter, or private?
- P.S. 051 is a public school in NYC Community School District 27.
- What neighborhood is P.S. 051 in?
- P.S. 051 is in Richmond Hill, Queens.