At a Glance
A well-above-average zoned elementary in a tight-knit Queens neighborhood where parents and teachers trust each other deeply
Best suited for
Families zoned for the school who want a stable, well-trusted neighborhood elementary with strong academics and a diverse community — best for those who live within walking or short-driving distance since subway access is limited.
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
- Both ELA and math proficiency climbed to the low 60s in 2025, meaningfully outpacing the district
- Zero suspensions for two consecutive years — a genuinely rare data point
- Parent trust scores are near the top of the range: 98% trust in the principal and 100% in relationships with staff
- PTA fundraising runs at $55/student, nearly double the district average, suggesting strong family investment
- Test scores jumped notably in the most recent year after years of flat performance
Things to consider
- Chronic absenteeism is high at 73.7%, particularly among Asian and White student subgroups — ask how the school monitors and follows up
- Teacher-reported instructional quality at 81% lags well behind the district's 92% — a real gap worth probing at a tour
- No nearby subway access means this school realistically only works for zoned families or those who can drive
- The school is large at 847 students, which may feel different from smaller neighborhood alternatives
- The 2025 score jump is encouraging but comes after years of flat results — ask whether that growth is sticking
Based on 2024-25 data
School SummaryDistrict 24
Among District 24 peers, P.S. 153 sits in the upper-middle tier alongside schools like P.S. 007 and Central Queens Academy Charter, outscoring larger schools like P.S./I.S. 119 and P.S. 102 Bayview. It outperforms the district average across academics, parent satisfaction, and discipline, though its instructional quality rating trails.
Academics
In 2025, 61% of students met ELA proficiency and 61.7% met math proficiency — both meaningfully above the District 24 averages of about 51% and 55% respectively. The school's overall rating of 2.45 out of 4 also clears the district average of 2.12. The trend is genuinely positive: after hovering in the low-to-mid 50s for several years (51-58% in ELA, 52-59% in math), proficiency jumped sharply in the most recent year. Grade 3 students lead the way at around 68% proficiency in both subjects, while grades 4 and 5 sit closer to the 55-61% range. The acceleration is real, but it follows several flat years, so parents should weigh the recent jump as encouraging rather than fully established.
Culture
The trust signals here are unusually strong. 98% of parents trust the principal and 98% trust teachers, with a perfect 100% reporting strong relationships with staff. 96% parent satisfaction tops the district average of about 94%. Teachers report 97% safety and 93% trust in the principal — both healthy — though teacher-reported instructional quality sits at 81%, well below the district's 92% average. That gap is worth watching: families love this school, but teachers may feel the curriculum or professional support has room to grow. Discipline is a non-issue — zero suspensions across the last two reported years.
Community
P.S. 153's student body looks a lot like Maspeth itself — about 45% Hispanic, 39% White, and 14% Asian, with very small Black and multiracial populations. The diversity index of 62% reflects a genuinely mixed school, though it's less varied than many Queens elementaries. The community is solidly working- and middle-class, with a 58.7 economic need index and strong PTA engagement — families raised about $55 per student, well above the district average of $32. IEP enrollment is 17%, a touch higher than typical, suggesting inclusive practices.
Neighborhood
Maspeth is a quiet, mostly residential pocket of Queens where about half of residents own their homes and median household income sits near $87,000. Roughly one in four households has children, and the poverty rate is relatively low at 11%. About 28% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. It's a family-oriented, car-dependent area — families who choose P.S. 153 are typically zoned in and rooted locally rather than commuting from elsewhere.
There are no nearby subway stops; the closest options are the Forest Av (M), Fresh Pond Rd (M), and Seneca Av (M) stations, each about a 17-20 minute walk. Most families drive or walk to school.
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) · 683 families responded (92% 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. 153 Maspeth Elem 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. 153 Maspeth Elem 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. 153 Maspeth Elem a good school?
- On Motley, P.S. 153 Maspeth Elem earns an overall rating of 61/100 — 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 24 average.
- What grades does P.S. 153 Maspeth Elem serve?
- P.S. 153 Maspeth Elem serves grades Pre-K to 5.
- How do students get into P.S. 153 Maspeth Elem?
- P.S. 153 Maspeth Elem admits by zone — children who live in its attendance zone get a guaranteed seat.
- Is P.S. 153 Maspeth Elem public, charter, or private?
- P.S. 153 Maspeth Elem is a public school in NYC Community School District 24.
- What neighborhood is P.S. 153 Maspeth Elem in?
- P.S. 153 Maspeth Elem is in Maspeth, Queens.