P.S. 123

P.S. 123's academic trajectory is the headline of its profile. ELA proficiency jumped from 24.7% in 2016 to 66.2% in 2025 — roughly a three-fold increase — and math performance climbed even higher, from 22.6% to 78.4%. Both figures now comfortably exceed District 27 averages (ELA ~56%, Math ~57%). The improvement has been steady year over year with no real backsliding, suggesting the gains are structural rather than a one-time anomaly. One nuance: grade-level breakdowns show Grade 4 students performing very strongly (ELA 82.1%, Math 91.4%), while Grade 5 dips notably (ELA 51.8%, Math 61.7%) — worth asking about if your child is entering the upper grades.

The school climate numbers here are unusually strong. Teacher-reported safety sits at 99% (vs. district average of ~93%), and teacher trust in instruction quality is 98%. Parent satisfaction is 93%, and family survey response rates are high (76%), suggesting families here are engaged and connected rather than disconnected from the school. The discipline record is essentially clean — zero suspensions for three consecutive years — which is notable in a school of over 550 students. The one signal to watch is chronic absenteeism at 65.8%, which is high even though daily attendance is solid at 90.1%; the gap suggests a meaningful share of students are missing extended stretches even as most show up regularly.

The student body is majority Black (57%) with significant Asian (12%), Hispanic (19%), and Native American (7%) populations — a notably diverse mix that mirrors Baisley Park's character as a working- and middle-class neighborhood where families are likely long-term residents rather than transients. IEP enrollment at 18% is roughly in line with city averages, and the diversity index of 69% reflects genuine mixing across racial and ethnic lines rather than a two-group split.

Baisley Park is a residential, car-oriented stretch of southeastern Queens where homeownership runs high (63%) and households with kids make up nearly 18% of the population. Median household income sits around $83,500 with a relatively low poverty rate of 11.3%, meaning most families here are working- or middle-class homeowners rather than renters under financial pressure. It's a neighborhood that tends to be stable but not flashy, with a BA+ education rate around 20%.

There are no subway stations within a 20-minute walk, so families here are car-dependent or rely on local buses — worth factoring into your commute if you don't already live nearby.