At a Glance
A diverse Rego Park zoned elementary where test scores have nearly doubled over the past decade, even as daily attendance remains a real challenge.
Best suited for
Families who live in the P.S. 206 zone, value a calm and trusting school environment, and want their child in a genuinely diverse, multilingual community — and who are ready to make sure their kid shows up every day.
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 doubled since 2016, the strongest improvement story in the school's recent history.
- Three consecutive years with zero suspensions — a remarkably calm disciplinary climate.
- 100% of teachers report strong relationships with colleagues, the highest possible on the climate measure.
- An unusually balanced racial and ethnic mix that mirrors Rego Park's blend of long-time residents and newer immigrant families.
- Parent-teacher and parent-principal trust both above 94%, well above district norms.
Things to consider
- Chronic absenteeism at 70% is well above what's typical and likely caps how high test scores can climb.
- Overall ELA and overall school score sit below the district average, even with years of improvement.
- Fourth-grade ELA proficiency of 37.1% is a noticeable dip compared with other grades.
- Family survey response rate was 37%, so the strong parent-trust numbers reflect the families who did respond.
- Class sizes of about 24-25 are average for the district, not smaller.
Based on 2024-25 data
School SummaryDistrict 28
Within District 28, P.S. 206 sits below the district average overall score and trails its higher-rated peers like P.S. 196 Grand Central Parkway and The Academy for Excellence through the Arts. It's a solidly mid-pack school that's been quietly catching up year over year.
Academics
Math proficiency of 60.2% is right at the district average of 62.8%, while ELA at 52.5% lags roughly ten points behind. But the trajectory is the more interesting story: ELA has climbed from 29.3% in 2016 to 52.5% in 2025, and math has jumped from 30.8% to 60.2% over the same span. Scores wobbled during the pandemic years (2022 dipped to 41.4% ELA / 35.4% math) but have largely recovered. Third-graders are the school's bright spot at 71.9% math proficiency; fourth-grade ELA at 37.1% drags down the overall picture.
Culture
The survey numbers tell a remarkably unified story: 100% of teachers report strong relationships, 97% of parents trust their child's teacher, and 99% of teachers say the school feels safe — all well above district averages. There have been zero suspensions for three straight years, which is essentially unheard of. The catch is chronic absenteeism at 70%, meaning most students miss 10% or more of school days — a real drag on academic growth and worth asking the school directly about. Day-to-day attendance of 91.6% is right at the district norm.
Community
The student body is one of the most balanced in the district: roughly 29% Asian, 30% Hispanic, 28% White, 9% Black, and small multi-racial and Native American slices, with a diversity index of 81%. About 12% of students have IEPs and the economic need index of 65.6 indicates a meaningful share of students from lower-income households. This mix tracks Rego Park itself — a neighborhood where established white-collar families live alongside recent immigrant households, often in the same apartment buildings.
Neighborhood
Rego Park is a stable, middle-class Queens neighborhood where the median household income sits around $83,600 and just over half of adults have a bachelor's degree. About 18% of households include children, and 44% of homes are owner-occupied with a median value near $622,000 — signs of a community putting down roots. The streets around the school are walkable and well-served by transit.
The school is a 6-minute walk from the 63 Dr-Rego Park station (M and R trains) and a 9-minute walk from Woodhaven Blvd (M and R), with 67 Av (M and R) about 14 minutes away on foot.
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) · 184 families responded (37% 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. 206 The Horace Harding School 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. 206 The Horace Harding School 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. 206 The Horace Harding School a good school?
- On Motley, P.S. 206 The Horace Harding School earns an overall rating of 56/100 — 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 below the District 28 average.
- What grades does P.S. 206 The Horace Harding School serve?
- P.S. 206 The Horace Harding School serves grades Pre-K to 5.
- How do students get into P.S. 206 The Horace Harding School?
- P.S. 206 The Horace Harding School admits by zone — children who live in its attendance zone get a guaranteed seat.
- Is P.S. 206 The Horace Harding School public, charter, or private?
- P.S. 206 The Horace Harding School is a public school in NYC Community School District 28.
- What neighborhood is P.S. 206 The Horace Harding School in?
- P.S. 206 The Horace Harding School is in Rego Park, Queens.