At a Glance
A math-strong zoned elementary in suburban Bay Terrace, held together by unusually high parent-teacher trust
Best suited for
Families zoned for Bay Terrace-Clearview who want strong math instruction, a tight parent community, and are comfortable with a car-dependent commute.
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 running about 11 points above the district average, steady in the high 70s to mid 80s for most of the past decade
- Zero suspensions for three consecutive years — an unusually consistent discipline record
- Near-perfect trust scores across every survey dimension, including 100% of teachers reporting feeling safe on campus
- An active PTA raising about $113 per student, more than double the district average
- Sits in one of Queens' most suburban, family-stable neighborhoods with high homeownership and low poverty
Things to consider
- The chronic absenteeism figure of 88.3% is striking and worth asking the principal about — it doesn't track with the otherwise very warm parent engagement numbers
- ELA proficiency fluctuates year to year and currently sits just below the district average, so families prioritizing strong reading/writing outcomes should weigh that carefully
- There is no subway within walking distance, so the commute takes planning unless you live close enough to walk or use the school bus
- As a zoned school, there is no test or application to get in — your address is your ticket, which means no opt-in if you live outside the zone
- Class sizes average about 25, in line with the district — not a draw for families specifically seeking small classrooms
Based on 2024-25 data
School SummaryDistrict 25
District 25 is one of the stronger Queens districts academically, with standout peers like The Active Learning Elementary and P.S. 079 Francis Lewis both scoring in the 90s out of 100. P.S. 169's overall score of 2.86/4 places it comfortably above the district average of 2.69 and makes it one of the more solid zoned options in the area, even if it's not at the very top of the district.
Academics
Math is the headline: at 81.1%, proficiency runs about 11 points above the district average of 69.6%, and the trend has held in the high 70s to mid 80s for most of the past decade. ELA is the weaker leg — at 61.8%, it's just below the district average of 64.9%, and has bounced between roughly 50% and 63% over the years without a clear upward path. Overall, with an overall score of 2.86/4 versus the district's 2.69, this is a stronger-than-average District 25 elementary, but the story is really told by math.
Culture
The school screens unusually well on trust and climate: 100% of teachers report feeling safe, 99% trust their principal, 98% of parents trust their child's teacher, and 95% of families report being satisfied — all meaningfully above district averages. There have been zero suspensions in each of the last three years, a remarkable run for any elementary. The one number that complicates the picture is chronic absenteeism at 88.3%, which sits in tension with the school's otherwise warm survey scores and the 94.5% attendance rate — a conversation worth having with the school to understand what's driving it.
Community
P.S. 169's student body is roughly 39% Asian, 29% White, 24% Hispanic, 5% multiracial, and 3% Black — a fairly diverse mix that tracks reasonably well with Bay Terrace-Clearview's adult population. The school's economic need index of 27.6 is well below the citywide figure, signaling that most families arrive without significant financial disadvantage, consistent with a neighborhood where the median household income tops $109,000 and half of adults hold a bachelor's degree. About 16% of students have IEPs, on the lower side for the city.
Neighborhood
Bay Terrace-Clearview is one of the more suburban-flavored corners of Queens: a homeownership rate near 78%, a median household income around $109,000, and a poverty rate of about 6%. Education levels are unusually high — roughly half of adults hold a bachelor's degree — and households with children make up about 16% of the area, which is meaningful for a zoned elementary like this one. The neighborhood feels less like central Queens and more like a self-contained residential pocket.
There are no subway stations within a 20-minute walk of the school, so most families get here by car, school bus, or local bus.
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) · 397 families responded (99% 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. 169 Bay Terrace 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. 169 Bay Terrace 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.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is P.S. 169 Bay Terrace a good school?
- On Motley, P.S. 169 Bay Terrace earns an overall rating of 72/100 — 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 in line with the District 25 average.
- What grades does P.S. 169 Bay Terrace serve?
- P.S. 169 Bay Terrace serves grades Pre-K to 5.
- How do students get into P.S. 169 Bay Terrace?
- P.S. 169 Bay Terrace admits by zone — children who live in its attendance zone get a guaranteed seat.
- Is P.S. 169 Bay Terrace public, charter, or private?
- P.S. 169 Bay Terrace is a public school in NYC Community School District 25.
- What neighborhood is P.S. 169 Bay Terrace in?
- P.S. 169 Bay Terrace is in Bay Terrace-Clearview, Queens.