At a Glance
A large South Ozone Park elementary where academic outcomes have quietly climbed well past the district average.
Best suited for
Families who want a large, diverse neighborhood school with strong academics and an unusually trusting relationship between parents and staff, and who are ready to actively engage around the chronic absenteeism issue.
Overall Rating
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 proficiency at 77% is roughly 20 points above the district average, with Grade 3 hitting nearly 85%.
- Three consecutive years with zero suspensions and a 99% teacher-reported safety rate suggest a calm, well-managed building.
- Parent trust in leadership is unusually high (98% trust in the principal, 97% trust in teachers), reflecting real parent-school partnership.
- Consistent gains across ELA and math since 2016 show a school on a sustained upward arc rather than a one-year spike.
- With over 1,100 students, it offers a more robust peer environment than many smaller neighborhood schools.
Things to consider
- Chronic absenteeism at nearly 70% is the school's most significant concern, even with average daily attendance looking reasonable.
- PTA fundraising per student ($53) is less than half the district average ($121), which can mean fewer enrichment resources depending on parent involvement.
- Class size averages 23.4, on par with the district — not small, not oversized.
- At 1,176 students, this is a large elementary school; families who want a smaller, more intimate setting may want to look elsewhere.
Based on 2024-25 data
School SummaryDistrict 27
Within District 27, P.S. 108 sits in the upper tier of zoned public schools — well above the district averages and competitive with several of the higher-profile charters and screened schools listed among its peers. It's a standout among traditional zoned options.
Academics
Proficiency scores here are solidly above district averages — 73% in ELA and 77% in math versus District 27 averages of roughly 56% and 57%. The trajectory is one of the more encouraging in the area: in 2016, only about half of students were meeting ELA and math standards, and both subjects have trended upward, with a notable jump in 2025. Grade 3 math proficiency (84.9%) is a particular standout, suggesting strong early numeracy. Results hold up across grades 3, 4, and 5, which is a sign of consistent instruction rather than a one-grade spike.
Culture
The school's biggest strength may be its climate: 99% of teachers report feeling safe, 96% rate instruction quality favorably, and parent trust in teachers and the principal sits at 97% and 98% — rare numbers anywhere. There have been zero suspensions over the past three years, which tells you discipline isn't a flashpoint. The tension is in attendance: the 92% rate is fine, but chronic absenteeism sits at nearly 70%, well above what's healthy — meaning most students here are missing significant school each year even if average daily attendance looks okay.
Community
The student body is roughly 53% Hispanic and 31% Asian, with smaller Black, White, and Native American populations — a mix that reflects the neighborhood's character as a home to many South Asian, Caribbean, and Latin American families. About 62% of students qualify for economic need, which lines up with the 10.5% poverty rate in the surrounding census tract but also shows a substantial middle-class presence. The diversity index of 67% indicates a school where most students are in a genuine majority-minority mix.
Neighborhood
South Ozone Park is a stable, largely homeowner neighborhood — nearly 70% of households own their homes, and median household income is around $98,000. Roughly one in five households includes children, which gives this area a family-oriented feel. Educational attainment is mixed, with about a fifth of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher, reflecting a working- and middle-class community rather than a uniformly professional one.
Families have three A-line options: 111 St (A) and 104 St (A), each about an 8-minute walk, and Aqueduct Racetrack (A) about 11 minutes away.
Academic Performance
ELA Proficiency
Students scoring proficient or above on the NY State ELA exam.
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Math Proficiency
Students scoring proficient or above on the NY State Math exam.
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Historical Trends
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
NYC School Survey (2025) · 960 families responded (89% 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. 108 Captain Vincent G. Fowler 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. 108 Captain Vincent G. Fowler 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. 108 Captain Vincent G. Fowler a good school?
- On Motley, P.S. 108 Captain Vincent G. Fowler earns an overall rating of 75/100 — 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 27 average.
- What grades does P.S. 108 Captain Vincent G. Fowler serve?
- P.S. 108 Captain Vincent G. Fowler serves grades Pre-K to 5.
- How do students get into P.S. 108 Captain Vincent G. Fowler?
- P.S. 108 Captain Vincent G. Fowler admits by zone — children who live in its attendance zone get a guaranteed seat.
- Is P.S. 108 Captain Vincent G. Fowler public, charter, or private?
- P.S. 108 Captain Vincent G. Fowler is a public school in NYC Community School District 27.
- What neighborhood is P.S. 108 Captain Vincent G. Fowler in?
- P.S. 108 Captain Vincent G. Fowler is in South Ozone Park, Queens.