P.S. 195 Manhattan Beach

Test scores are well above district norms. With 83.6% of students proficient in ELA and 86.2% in math, P.S. 195 runs roughly 20+ percentage points ahead of the District 22 averages (about 61% ELA, 60% math). The overall quality review score of 3.4 out of 4 lands well above the district average of 2.43. Math has been consistently strong for years — hovering in the high 70s to high 80s regardless of cohort — while ELA dipped during the COVID recovery years (66.7% in 2022) before rebounding sharply to 83.6% in 2025. Scores by grade show 3rd through 5th graders all in the 80s or higher, which suggests the gains hold across grade levels rather than being driven by one strong cohort.

The day-to-day experience here is unusually calm. The school reported zero suspensions in 2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24 — a clean record that stands out in a district with a roughly 0.5% suspension rate. Teachers rate instruction quality at 100% and their own sense of safety at 100%, with 91% saying they trust their colleagues and principal. Families report 92% satisfaction and 95% trust in teachers, though only 38% bothered to fill out the survey, so the picture comes mostly from the parents who are already engaged. Attendance rate is 92.7%, just above the district average. The one striking number is chronic absenteeism at 75.7% — meaning three of every four students missed 10% or more of the school year, and the Asian subgroup hits 90.9%. That's high enough to be worth asking the school about directly, since it sits oddly against the strong academics and tight climate.

The student body looks nothing like Brooklyn as a whole. P.S. 195 is 96% White, with about 1% each of Black, Hispanic, multi-racial, and Asian students, giving it a diversity index of just 13% (most NYC schools are far higher). The economic need index is 29.7, meaning a relatively low share of students are classified as high-need. PTA fundraising tells a similar story: $241 per student, more than four times the district average of $56, which signals a parent base with both the means and the willingness to write checks for enrichment. This is a community where families know each other, show up, and have the resources to organize — for better and for worse depending on what a parent is looking for.

Manhattan Beach sits at the southern edge of Brooklyn, a quieter, more suburban-feeling pocket within Sheepshead Bay–Manhattan Beach–Gerritsen Beach. The census paints a middle-to-upper-middle-class picture: median household income of $79,582, a 13% poverty rate (well under the borough average), and 52.8% homeownership with a median home value of $721,560. About 18% of households have children, and 43% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher — a notably educated population. Families here tend to live locally rather than commute far, which explains the low subway dependency.

Most families likely walk or drive. The nearest subway is Sheepshead Bay on the B and Q lines, about a 15-minute walk from the school; Brighton Beach on the B and Q is roughly 20 minutes on foot. Bus options and car drop-offs are likely the practical default for getting younger kids to class.