Motley
District 2121
PublicDistrict 21 →Zoned

P.S. 095 The Gravesend

345 Van Sicklen Street

At a Glance

A large, steadily improving Gravesend zoned school where the math trajectory outpaces the district and families are unusually vocal about their trust in the principal.

Best suited for

Gravesend families who want a stable neighborhood zoned school with full K-8 continuity, strong math results, and a principal families clearly trust — and who are comfortable with a large school rather than a small progressive environment.

Overall Rating

71
Meeting
Not MeetingApproachingMeetingExceeding
ELA65.1
Math75.7

Rating = average of NY State ELA + math proficiency, grades 3–8

Bands are Motley's thresholds on a 0–100 scale, not New York State performance levels.

How this is scored→

What stands out

  • Math scores climbing for four straight years, now well above the district average
  • Parent-principal trust at 98% — among the highest in the district
  • Essentially zero discipline issues with a suspension rate far below district average
  • Large enrollment (945 students) means a wide grade span and full middle school experience
  • ENG support for the many families navigating school in a second language

Things to consider

  • Science proficiency at 23.5% is notably weak — worth asking the school what they're doing about it
  • Grade 6 ELA proficiency drops to 46.3%, suggesting the middle school transition could use attention
  • Chronic absenteeism at 76.4% is very high, even accounting for citywide trends
  • Program richness score of 34.7/100 is modest — don't expect a long menu of electives or enrichment
  • With ~945 students and average class sizes of 24.6, this isn't the intimate small-school experience some families prefer

Based on 2024-25 data

School SummaryDistrict 21

P.S. 095's overall score of 2.82 out of 4 places it solidly in the upper half of District 21, behind the borough's gifted-and-talented standouts (Brooklyn School of Inquiry, Mark Twain, Bay Academy) but well ahead of many zoned peers like P.S. 90. Among non-selective zoned schools in the district, it's one of the stronger performers.

Academics

Improving

Math proficiency at 75.7% sits comfortably above the district average of 63.2%, and the school's trajectory has been climbing since 2022 (59.3% → 71.5% → 71.5% → 75.7%). ELA proficiency at 65.1% also edges out the district average of 60.0%, though the year-over-year line is bumpier — dipping to 57.3% in 2024 before jumping to 65.1% in 2025. The overall score of 2.82 out of 4 places the school ahead of most district peers. Science proficiency at 23.5% is the weak spot and worth asking about. By grade, the elementary levels (3-5) are the strongest, while Grade 6 ELA (46.3%) drags the middle school average down.

Culture

strong

The day-to-day feel here leans warm and trusting. Parent satisfaction is 95% and parent-principal trust hits 98% — that's a lot of families who feel heard. Teacher trust in the principal is more modest at 82%, and teacher-rated instruction quality (90%) trails slightly behind the district average of 92.6%, suggesting teachers feel supported but less enthusiastic about classroom conditions. Discipline is essentially a non-issue: one suspension in 2023-24, a rate far below the district's 0.5% average. Teacher-reported safety at 95% is solid. Attendance at 93% beats the district average of 91.2%, though chronic absenteeism at 76.4% is extremely high — a number that reflects post-pandemic citywide patterns more than anything specific to this school, but still worth noting.

Community

The student body mirrors Gravesend's multicultural character: 35% Asian, 34% Hispanic, 23% White, 6% Black, with a diversity index of 74%. About three-quarters of students qualify for economic need, which tracks closely with the neighborhood's 16.7% poverty rate. Roughly 17% of students have IEPs, and the school offers ELL Support for the many families whose home languages aren't English. PTA fundraising totals $77,334 — about $82 per student — just slightly above the district average, and 558 families responded to the survey (a healthy 63% response rate), suggesting an engaged parent base.

Neighborhood

Gravesend (East)-Homecrest

Gravesend is a family-dense Brooklyn neighborhood with a quarter of households raising children, a median household income around $69,445, and a homeownership rate near 36% — modest by city standards but meaningful for a community where many families stay put across generations. The 40.9% college-educated rate signals a stable middle-class backbone, and median home values north of $1 million reflect how much the area has appreciated. It's the kind of place where block-level relationships still matter and the local school is a real anchor.

Very convenient — the Avenue U F stop is about a two-minute walk, and both the Avenue U N and 86th Street N stations are roughly six minutes away on foot.

Academic Performance

ELA Proficiency

65.1%

Students scoring proficient or above on the NY State ELA exam.

NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23

Math Proficiency

75.7%

Students scoring proficient or above on the NY State Math exam.

NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23

Science Proficiency

23.5%

Students scoring proficient or above on the NY State Science exam.

NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23

Historical Trends

ELA Math

The dashed line marks 2023, when New York changed its grades 3–8 state tests. Scores before and after it aren’t directly comparable.

2020–2021 data unavailable due to COVID-19

Source: NYC DOE School Quality Reports

Survey Results

Family Feedback
Satisfaction
95%
Teacher Trust
97%
Principal Trust
98%
Relationships
n/a
Teacher Perspective
Instruction
90%
Principal Trust
82%
Collegial Trust
83%
Safety
95%

NYC School Survey (2025) · 558 families responded (63% rate)

Programs & Activities

Academic(1)
Accelerated/Honors
Language(1)
ELL Support

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Diverse
34%Hispanic/Latino
6%Black
23%White
35%Asian
1%Native American

NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23

PTA Fundraising

2024-25
$77,334
total raised
$82
per student

Source: DOE Local Law 171 disclosure

Discipline

1suspensions (0% of students)
3-Year Trend— Stable
21
22
23

NYSED Student & Educator Database (2023-24)

Economic Need & Special Populations

Economic Need Index
74.8%
IEP Students
16.7%

How to get in, step by step

Kindergarten

P.S. 095 The Gravesend 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.

  1. 1Check that your address is inside the zone — zones change, so confirm it before you sign a lease.
  2. 2Apply during the kindergarten application, even with a zoned seat.
  3. 3Rank this school along with any others you'd take, in true preference order.

Middle school (6th grade)

Middle school is one citywide application, made in 5th grade. P.S. 095 The Gravesend admits through one program, and each one has its own admissions method:

  • The Gravesend School (P.S./I.S. 95)Zoned72 seats

Middle school application

Opened
Wed, Oct 14
Closes
Fri, Dec 11
Offers
Wed, Apr 7

The DOE’s published dates.

  1. 1Apply on MySchools during the middle school application, in 5th grade.
  2. 2Zoned programs give priority to students who live in the zone — a priority, not a guaranteed seat.
  3. 3Rank programs in true preference order — the match places your child in the highest-ranked one that offers a seat.

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. 095 The Gravesend a good school?
On Motley, P.S. 095 The Gravesend earns an overall rating of 71/100 — the average of the school's New York State ELA and math proficiency, grades 3–8, shown out of 100. Its state test results run above the District 21 average.
What grades does P.S. 095 The Gravesend serve?
P.S. 095 The Gravesend serves grades K to 8.
How do students get into P.S. 095 The Gravesend?
P.S. 095 The Gravesend admits by zone. For elementary grades, children who live in its zone get a guaranteed seat; for the older grades, living in the zone gives priority, not a guaranteed seat.
Is P.S. 095 The Gravesend public, charter, or private?
P.S. 095 The Gravesend is a public school in NYC Community School District 21.
What neighborhood is P.S. 095 The Gravesend in?
P.S. 095 The Gravesend is in Gravesend (East)-Homecrest, Brooklyn.