At a Glance
A large Jackson Heights elementary where families clearly feel heard — math is surging, but chronic absenteeism is the conversation parents need to have
Best suited for
Families rooted in Jackson Heights who want a culturally familiar environment, strong parent-school communication, and a school clearly trending in the right direction academically — and who can prioritize getting their child to school consistently every day.
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 has nearly doubled since 2022 (29.6% → 58.1%), one of the sharper turnarounds in the district
- Parent trust is exceptional — 97% trust teachers, 97% trust the principal, and 558 families completed the survey
- Zero suspensions in each of the last three school years
- Grade 3 math proficiency of 76.4% shows strong foundational instruction in the early grades
- Named for Christa McAuliffe, the teacher-turned-space-shuttle-challenger — a quietly inspiring namesake for a school serving so many families new to this country
Things to consider
- Chronic absenteeism at 76.4% is a serious, school-wide issue — consistent daily attendance matters and this school is fighting an uphill battle on it
- ELA proficiency at 45% trails the district average of 60.7% by a wide margin and hasn't shown the same upward momentum as math
- Teacher-reported safety at 88% is six points below the district average — ask what that reflects
- PTA fundraising totals just $16 per student versus a district average of $78, meaning enrichment programs likely lean heavily on what the school can fund directly
- The nearest subway is an 11–15 minute walk, so most families will arrive by bus, car, or on foot from nearby blocks
Based on 2024-25 data
School SummaryDistrict 30
Within District 30, P.S. 149 sits below the district average overall score (2.06 vs. 2.46) and well behind its screened and G&T peers like the Baccalaureate School and the 30th Avenue School. But it serves a far higher-need population than those schools, and the math trajectory suggests real instructional momentum that isn't captured in a single snapshot score.
Academics
Math is the headline: proficiency climbed from 29.6% in 2022 to 58.1% in 2025, closing in on the district average of 62.2%. ELA has been more volatile — bouncing between 32% and 45% over the past several years — and still sits 16 points below the district average of 60.7%. The grade-level breakdown tells an important story too: Grade 3 math proficiency is 76.4%, well above district norms, while Grade 5 math drops to 44.4%, suggesting students lose ground as they get older.
Culture
The day-to-day feel here is warmer than the numbers might suggest. Parents rate satisfaction at 94% and trust in both teachers and the principal at 97%, and the school has logged zero suspensions for three consecutive years. Teacher-reported safety at 88% is notably below the district average of 94.8% — worth asking the principal about on a tour. The harder truth is attendance: while daily attendance is a healthy 93.3%, 76.4% of students are chronically absent, meaning most kids are missing enough school to meaningfully set them back.
Community
Eighty-seven percent of students identify as Hispanic, mirroring Jackson Heights' identity as one of New York's most prominent immigrant neighborhoods. The school also serves an 8% Asian population, with small numbers of White, Black, and Native American students. The economic need index of 79.8% means most families are coming from households with limited resources, and 19% of students have IEPs — a higher-than-average share.
Neighborhood
Jackson Heights is a dense, working-class neighborhood with a median household income of $72,762 and a 13.9% poverty rate. About 17% of households have children, and a third of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher — modest by city standards but typical of this part of Queens. The 7 train is the spine of the neighborhood, carrying residents into Manhattan in under 30 minutes.
The school is about an 11-minute walk from either the 90 St-Elmhurst Av or Junction Blvd stops on the 7 line, with 82 St-Jackson Hts roughly 15 minutes away on foot — manageable, but not a hop out the door.
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) · 558 families responded (83% 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. 149 Christa McAuliffe 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. 149 Christa McAuliffe doesn't have an attendance zone of its own, so living nearby doesn't guarantee a seat here. Families apply on MySchools, and seats go to the school's priority groups first, then by random lottery.
Kindergarten application
- Opens
- Wed, Dec 9
- Closes
- Fri, Jan 22
- Offers
- Tue, Mar 30
The DOE’s published dates.
- 1Apply on MySchools during the kindergarten application.
- 2Rank this school with your zoned school, if you have one, and 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. 149 Christa McAuliffe a good school?
- On Motley, P.S. 149 Christa McAuliffe earns an overall rating of 52/100 — 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 30 average.
- What grades does P.S. 149 Christa McAuliffe serve?
- P.S. 149 Christa McAuliffe serves grades Pre-K to 5.
- Is P.S. 149 Christa McAuliffe public, charter, or private?
- P.S. 149 Christa McAuliffe is a public school in NYC Community School District 30.
- What neighborhood is P.S. 149 Christa McAuliffe in?
- P.S. 149 Christa McAuliffe is in Jackson Heights, Queens.