At a Glance
A large, family-rooted elementary school in Queensboro Hill where parents trust the staff deeply but recent academic gains have slipped
Best suited for
Families zoned for the school who value a calm, suspension-free environment, deep parent-school relationships, and a culturally familiar community — and who are willing to engage directly with the school about attendance patterns and recent academic declines.
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
- Zero suspensions over three consecutive years — a strong indicator of a calm, well-managed environment
- Exceptionally high parent trust (97%) and satisfaction (95%), suggesting families feel heard and respected
- Large, established zoned school with 730 students and dedicated special education classrooms
- Strong cultural fit between school demographics and the surrounding Queensboro Hill community
Things to consider
- Chronic absenteeism at 83.7% is strikingly high, with the Asian subgroup at 94.1% — this warrants asking the school directly what is driving the pattern
- Test scores have slipped notably since 2023, now trailing district averages in both ELA and math
- Teacher-rated instruction quality (86%) sits below the district average of 89.6%
- Modest PTA fundraising ($17 per student) may mean fewer enrichment programs than peer schools
- No subway access within a 20-minute walk — commuting without a car or bus route can be challenging
Based on 2024-25 data
School SummaryDistrict 25
P.S. 120 sits below its district peers on the overall score — the top performers listed (Active Learning Elementary at 92, P.S. 079 Francis Lewis at 90, P.S. 209 Clearview Gardens at 85) all outpace it, and its 2.17/4 score trails the district's 2.69/4.
Academics
P.S. 120's test scores tell a story of real progress followed by a recent reversal. ELA proficiency climbed from 40% in 2016 to a peak of 57.8% in 2023, but has since dropped to 45.8% — well below the district average of 64.9%. Math followed the same arc, rising to 72.3% before falling to 62.5%, also trailing the district's 69.6%. The school's overall 2.17/4 score sits below the district's 2.69/4, and grade-level data shows fourth graders struggling most, with just 42.6% ELA proficiency and 54.9% in math.
Culture
The day-to-day feel of P.S. 120 is shaped by a striking tension: families clearly love this school, while student attendance tells a more complicated story. Parent satisfaction is 95%, with 97% of parents reporting trust in both teachers and the principal — unusually high numbers. Teacher-reported safety is 97%, and the school has logged zero suspensions across three consecutive years, suggesting a calm, well-managed environment. But teacher-rated instruction quality (86%) trails the district average of 89.6%, hinting at room for instructional growth. Overall attendance is solid at 94.6%, but chronic absenteeism is at 83.7% — extraordinarily high — and even higher among Asian students (94.1%).
Community
P.S. 120 is a community school in the truest sense — its student body closely reflects the Queensboro Hill neighborhood. Asian students make up 76% of enrollment, with Hispanic students at 21% and a small mix of White, Black, and multiracial students. The diversity index of 38% reflects this concentration. With an economic need index of 78.2%, a substantial share of students come from lower-income households, and 15% have IEPs. PTA fundraising is modest at $17 per student, well below the district's $49.64 average, which may translate to fewer enrichment opportunities.
Neighborhood
Queensboro Hill is a middle-class, family-oriented neighborhood where 22.9% of households include children — typical of an area anchored by elementary schools like P.S. 120. The median household income is $71,035, and 29.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. About half of residents own their homes, with a median value of $946,455. The community has a notable Asian American presence that clearly carries over into the school's enrollment.
There are no subway stations within a 20-minute walk, so most families rely on school buses, local buses, or driving.
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) · 341 families responded (47% 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. 120 Queens 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. 120 Queens 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.
Make this school part of your plan
Everything on this page is yours to read. An account keeps your research in one place.
No credit card required
Compare head-to-head
Explore nearby
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is P.S. 120 Queens a good school?
- On Motley, P.S. 120 Queens earns an overall rating of 54/100 — 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 below the District 25 average.
- What grades does P.S. 120 Queens serve?
- P.S. 120 Queens serves grades Pre-K to 5.
- How do students get into P.S. 120 Queens?
- P.S. 120 Queens admits by zone — children who live in its attendance zone get a guaranteed seat.
- Is P.S. 120 Queens public, charter, or private?
- P.S. 120 Queens is a public school in NYC Community School District 25.
- What neighborhood is P.S. 120 Queens in?
- P.S. 120 Queens is in Queensboro Hill, Queens.