At a Glance
A high-achieving Dyker Heights elementary where families invest heavily and math scores are quietly among the strongest in the district.
Best suited for
Families zoned for the school who want a well-resourced, academically strong neighborhood elementary with deep family involvement and don't mind a larger school environment — particularly a good fit for Asian and Hispanic households already rooted in Dyker Heights.
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 at 81% — strong districtwide and consistently trending up over nearly a decade
- Zero suspensions for three straight years, paired with 98% teacher-reported safety
- PTA fundraising of roughly $133 per student, more than double the district average
- A 94% family survey response rate suggesting parents are unusually engaged with the school
- A large enrollment of over 1,100 students, providing a robust peer group and program breadth
Things to consider
- With 1,121 students, this is a large elementary — class sizes sit at the district average of 25, and families looking for a smaller, more intimate setting may want to look elsewhere
- The reported chronic absenteeism figure (89.4%) is unusually high relative to the 95.6% attendance rate and parents may want to ask the school directly about attendance patterns
- Economic need index of 78.3 is higher than the neighborhood's affluence might suggest, which means a meaningful share of the student body comes from lower-income households even in this well-off zip code
- Admissions are zoned, so living in the catchment area is the only path in — there is no screened or test-based entry
- Self-contained special education seats are available (SE designation), which is a real plus for families needing that placement
Based on 2025 data
School SummaryDistrict 20
P.S. 176 sits among the stronger-performing District 20 elementaries. By overall score it ranks below the Christa McAuliffe School (94/100) but ahead of the Brennan School, P.S. 127, P.S. 163, P.S. 185, and P.S. 105. Within a district that produces a wide range of outcomes, this school is comfortably above average on every measured dimension.
Academics
Math is the clear bright spot: 81% proficiency against a District 20 average of about 71%. ELA proficiency of 70% also beats the district average of 66%, and the 2025 numbers represent the school's strongest year on record. Math scores have climbed from 69.3% in 2016 to 81% in 2025 — a steady, meaningful improvement. By grade, third and fourth graders are leading the way (83% and 84% in math), with fifth grade still strong at 76%. The overall score of 3.02 out of 4 also outpaces the district average of 2.75.
Culture
This is a place where families clearly feel good about being involved. Parent satisfaction sits at 96% and parent-principal trust is at 96%, both meaningfully above district averages. Teachers rate instruction quality at 95% and report feeling safe at 98% — among the most confident safety readings in the district. What's particularly striking is the discipline record: zero suspensions over three consecutive years. Teacher responses to the survey were relatively limited (71 teachers), but the family survey brought in 972 responses — a 94% response rate that signals real family buy-in.
Community
The student body is 66% Asian, 21% Hispanic, 11% White, and 1% Black, reflecting Dyker Heights' identity as one of the most Asian-family-dense corners of Brooklyn. About 13% of students have IEPs, and the economic need index of 78.3 indicates a meaningfully higher share of low-income students than the neighborhood's median income of roughly $77,000 might suggest — likely reflecting more recent immigrant families. PTA fundraising came in at about $133 per student, more than double the district average, showing families put real money behind the school.
Neighborhood
Dyker Heights is a family-oriented, predominantly immigrant-origin neighborhood with a median household income of $76,739 and about a quarter of households containing children. Homeownership is high (about 52%) and median home values approach $1.1 million, reflecting the area's reputation as a stable, multi-generational Brooklyn neighborhood. Just under 20% of residents live below the poverty line, and about 34% hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Three subway options sit within about a 10-minute walk: the N at Fort Hamilton Pkwy and the D at both 71 St and 62 St. Most families in this neighborhood drive, but the D and N coverage makes car-free commutes reasonable.
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) · 972 families responded (94% 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
Kindergarten
P.S. 176 Ovington 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. 176 Ovington a good school?
- On Motley, P.S. 176 Ovington earns an overall rating of 76/100 — 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 20 average.
- What grades does P.S. 176 Ovington serve?
- P.S. 176 Ovington serves grades K to 5.
- How do students get into P.S. 176 Ovington?
- P.S. 176 Ovington admits by zone — children who live in its attendance zone get a guaranteed seat.
- Is P.S. 176 Ovington public, charter, or private?
- P.S. 176 Ovington is a public school in NYC Community School District 20.
- What neighborhood is P.S. 176 Ovington in?
- P.S. 176 Ovington is in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn.