P.S. 118 Lorraine Hansberry

The academic story here is one of the more dramatic turnarounds in District 29. ELA proficiency climbed from 41.1% in 2024 to 55.1% in 2025, and math proficiency jumped from 45.2% to 61.3% over the same period — putting math nearly eight points above the district average of 53.7% and ELA just slightly below the district's 56.9%. The 2025 overall score of 2.33 out of 4 sits a notch above the district average of 2.21. Looking back further, the school has effectively doubled its math proficiency since the low point of 19.6% in 2017. Grade 3 math is especially strong at 71.4%, suggesting strong early elementary instruction, while Grade 4 trails the other tested grades in both subjects.

The day-to-day feel at P.S. 118 is unusually calm. Suspensions have been zero for three consecutive school years, against a district average suspension rate of about 0.9%. Teachers report feeling safe on campus at a 98% rate, well above the district's 93.9%. Parent trust in the principal is exceptionally high at 98%, and parent satisfaction (91%) matches the district average. Where the picture is mixed: chronic absenteeism is high at 61.7%, meaning roughly six in ten students miss enough school days to be flagged — a number that almost certainly drags on test outcomes. Teacher-rated instruction quality is 82%, noticeably below the district's 88.4%, suggesting staff feel there's room to grow on classroom practice even as test scores climb.

The student body is 66% Black, 21% Hispanic, 9% Asian, and 3% Native American, reflecting the demographic character of southeast Queens. About 17% of students have IEPs and the economic need index is 68.7%, meaning a substantial share of families are at or near the poverty line, even though the surrounding neighborhood reports a median household income near $98,000. The diversity index of 55% reflects real variety but a clear Black majority. With 380 students total and an average class size of 23.1, classrooms feel similar to the rest of the district in size.

St. Albans is a stable, family-oriented southeast Queens neighborhood where roughly 75% of households own their homes and the median home value sits near $597,000. Median household income is about $97,900, with a poverty rate of 9.2% and a college-degree rate of 24.3% — solidly middle class, with a mix of long-term homeowners and younger families. The area is largely residential and car-oriented, with limited transit access.

There are no subway stations within a 20-minute walk of the school, so most families arrive by car, school bus, or local bus service. Driving or arranging pickup is essentially the norm here.