P.S. 197 - The Kings Highway Academy

Math is the headline: 76.4% proficiency puts P.S. 197 roughly 16 points above the District 22 average of 60.5%, and the trend has been climbing — from 50% in 2016 to 76.4% in 2025. ELA at 60% essentially matches the district average (61%), and that number has been bumpier over the years, dropping into the low 40s before rebounding sharply in 2025. Grade 3 leads the way (82.9% math, 66.4% ELA), with scores easing slightly as students move into upper grades.

The day-to-day feel is calm and family-centered: zero suspensions across three consecutive years, 100% of teachers reporting the school is safe, and parent-principal trust at 97%. The one climate wrinkle is chronic absenteeism at 66.8% — high, but fairly uniform across racial and gender groups, suggesting it's a pattern tied to the community rather than a specific subgroup. Teacher instruction quality (84%) sits below the district average of roughly 90%, and teacher-principal trust at 71% is notably lower than the parent-trust numbers — worth asking about if you visit.

The student body is 55% White and 24% Asian, with smaller Hispanic (10%) and Black (9%) populations — a different mix than much of District 22, which skews more heavily Black and Hispanic. The economic need index of 68.5% means a majority of students qualify as economically disadvantaged, even though neighborhood median income of about $70,680 and a 49% bachelor's-degree rate suggest many families are working- or middle-class. With 864 students, this is one of the larger zoned elementaries in the area, and the 94% family survey response rate shows families are paying attention.

Midwood is a stable, family-oriented Brooklyn neighborhood where roughly a quarter of households have kids, half of adults hold a bachelor's degree, and the median home value sits close to $920,000. Homeownership is just 32%, so a majority of families rent, and the poverty rate of 17% sits modestly above the citywide average. It's the kind of place where block-level ties run deep, which tracks with the unusually engaged parent body at P.S. 197.

Most families arrive by car, bus, or walking — the Kings Hwy station (B, Q) is about a 9-minute walk, Avenue M (Q) about 12 minutes, and Avenue U (Q) roughly 19 minutes away.