At a Glance
A high-engagement zoned school in northern Washington Heights on a decade-long upward academic climb
Best suited for
Families who live in the zone and want a small, family-engaged neighborhood school with a strong upward trajectory and a calm, supportive environment — especially those comfortable in a predominantly Hispanic, working-class community.
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 more than doubled since 2016, climbing from the low 20s to over 60% — one of the most dramatic sustained turnarounds in District 6.
- Family engagement is exceptional: 99% of families responded to the 2025 school survey, and 97% report being satisfied.
- Zero suspensions across three consecutive years — a discipline climate that's hard to find in a high-need school.
- By fifth grade, 76% of students hit ELA proficiency and 68% hit math, a strong upper-grade finish.
- 98% of teachers say they trust the principal and 98% rate instruction quality highly — a rare combination in a high-poverty setting.
Things to consider
- Chronic absenteeism runs high at 64.5%, meaning many students miss 10% or more of school days — worth asking the school directly how they're tackling it.
- Demographics are very homogeneous (94% Hispanic), so families seeking significant racial or ethnic mix should weigh that.
- Economic need is high (87.3%) and 22% of students have IEPs, so the student body carries real challenges.
- The 1 train is the only subway option — convenient if you live along that line, limiting if you don't.
- Class sizes hover around 22, roughly average for the district.
Based on 2024-25 data
School SummaryDistrict 6
District 6 covers upper Manhattan and includes both charter and zoned options; P.S. 189's overall score of 2.27/4 sits above the district average of 1.98, placing it in the upper half of traditional public schools. The top-scoring peers are charters (Zeta, Success Academy), but among zoned schools like P.S./I.S. 187 and Muscota, P.S. 189 is competitive and clearly trending up.
Academics
ELA proficiency at 53% is above the District 6 average of 47%, and math at 60.3% is well ahead of the district's 52.1%. The trajectory tells an even more striking story — math proficiency has climbed from roughly 24% in 2016 to over 60% in 2025, and ELA has nearly doubled from its 2017 low of 22.9%. By fifth grade, 76% of students hit ELA proficiency and 68% hit math, suggesting the gains compound as kids move through the school.
Culture
With zero suspensions across three years and teacher-reported safety at 92%, this is a calm, well-run school. The family and teacher survey numbers are unusually strong — 97% parent satisfaction, 98% parent-principal trust, 99% family survey response — suggesting a tight-knit community where families feel heard and teachers feel supported. The one thing parents should know: chronic absenteeism runs high at 64.5%, even though overall attendance is close to the district average, meaning many kids are missing a lot of school days.
Community
This school is overwhelmingly Hispanic — 94% of students identify that way, with small numbers of Black, White, and Asian students — giving it a low diversity index. The economic need index of 87.3% reflects a high-poverty population, and 22% of students have IEPs, a meaningfully higher share than the citywide norm. The surrounding neighborhood is also majority-Hispanic and working-class, so the student body closely mirrors the community it serves rather than drawing from across the city.
Neighborhood
Northern Washington Heights is a densely populated, working- and middle-class neighborhood — about 14% of residents live below the poverty line, median household income is around $77,000, and only 17% of households own their homes. About 13% of households have children under 18, and roughly 42% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is solid for the area. The 1 train runs straight through the neighborhood, with three stops within an easy walk of the school.
The 1 train stops at 191 St (about a 4-minute walk), 181 St (about 8 minutes), and Dyckman St (about 11 minutes), making car-free drop-offs realistic for most families who live along that line.
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) · 415 families responded (99% rate)
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Discipline
NYSED Student & Educator Database (2023-24)
Economic Need & Special Populations
How to get in, step by step
Pre-K
P.S. 189 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. 189 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. 189 a good school?
- On Motley, P.S. 189 earns an overall rating of 57/100 — 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 6 average.
- What grades does P.S. 189 serve?
- P.S. 189 serves grades Pre-K to 5.
- How do students get into P.S. 189?
- P.S. 189 admits by zone — children who live in its attendance zone get a guaranteed seat.
- Is P.S. 189 public, charter, or private?
- P.S. 189 is a public school in NYC Community School District 6.
- What neighborhood is P.S. 189 in?
- P.S. 189 is in Washington Heights (North), Manhattan.