P.S. 182 Samantha Smith

Test scores are well below District 28's averages — 41.4% ELA proficiency versus a district average near 63%, and 34.2% math proficiency versus the same district mark. The honest trajectory is encouraging but uneven: ELA has climbed from 27.6% in 2016 to 41.4% in 2025, and math has crept up from 25.5% to 34.2%, but the gap with the rest of the district has barely closed. Grade 3 math is a relative bright spot at 48.3% proficiency, while grades 4 and 5 math (24% and 29%) drag the school-level numbers down. The 1.51 out of 4 overall quality rating is among the lower scores in District 28, and students here are catching up, not leading.

The climate here tells two very different stories depending on who you ask. Family survey responses are strikingly positive — 96% of parents are satisfied, 98% trust the principal, and 100% say there are strong relationships between teachers and families. Teachers are more measured: 86% rate instruction quality positively (below the district's 92%), and only 74% report feeling safe at work — a notable gap from the district average of 93%. The suspension rate is essentially zero, and discipline trends show a calm, non-punitive environment. Attendance, though, is a real concern: 90.3% is just below district average, and chronic absenteeism of 59.3% means nearly six in ten students miss 10% or more of the school year. The day-to-day feel is likely warm and family-connected, but adults in the building have flagged safety and instructional consistency, and many kids simply aren't in their seats often enough.

P.S. 182's student body mirrors its neighborhood: 53% Hispanic, 30% Asian, 11% Black, plus a small but noteworthy 4% Native American share that reflects Jamaica's diversity. The economic need index of 81.4% means most students come from lower-income households, and 19% are classified as having IEPs — both well above citywide averages. The diversity index of 66% indicates a meaningfully mixed population. PTA fundraising tells its own story: roughly $2 per student, compared to a district average of about $165 per student, which limits what the parent body can directly fund. This is a community-rich school in the cultural sense, but under-resourced in the fundraising sense.

Jamaica is one of Queens' most transit-rich and demographically mixed neighborhoods, and P.S. 182 sits right in the middle of that mix. The median household income here is about $61,800, with a 16.8% poverty rate and a quarter of households including children. Homeownership is low at 24.2%, meaning most families around the school are renters, and only about a quarter of adults have a bachelor's degree. The neighborhood's diversity — both ethnically and economically — shows up directly in the school's enrollment.

Hard to beat for transit. The Parsons Blvd F train is about a two-minute walk from the school, and the E, J, and Z lines at Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer are about seven minutes on foot. The Sutphin Blvd F stop is roughly nine minutes away. Families coming from across Queens or from Manhattan can get here without a car.