At a Glance
A standout PK-5 zoned school in Bay Terrace, where near-perfect teacher surveys match unusually deep parent investment
Best suited for
Zoned Bay Terrace-Clearview families who want a traditional neighborhood elementary with strong academics, an unusually engaged PTA, and teachers who report feeling respected and safe — and who are set up for car or bus commutes rather than subway stops.
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
- 83.8% ELA and 86.2% math proficiency in 2025, well above district averages in both subjects
- PTA fundraising of $206 per student, more than four times the district's $49.64 per student
- Zero suspensions sustained across three consecutive school years
- 100% teacher-reported instruction quality and 99% teacher-reported safety
- 97% of parents say they trust both the teachers and the principal
Things to consider
- No subway within walking distance — families need a car, bus, or daily drop-off plan
- Average class size of 24.7 matches the district norm, so don't expect unusually small cohorts
- Parent satisfaction at 92% is a notch below the district average near 94%, even with strong academics and high trust scores
- ELA dips in grade 4 specifically (74.4%) before bouncing back in grade 5, worth watching year to year
Based on 2025 data
School SummaryDistrict 25
P.S. 209 sits near the very top of District 25. Its 3.4/4 overall score is well above the district's 2.69 average, putting it in the same tier as P.S. 079 Francis Lewis and The Active Learning Elementary, and ahead of every other peer listed for the district.
Academics
P.S. 209 runs well ahead of District 25 in both subjects. In 2025, 83.8% of students hit ELA proficiency against a district average near 65%, and 86.2% hit math proficiency against a district average around 70%. The long-term trend is clearly upward — ELA has climbed from 64.5% in 2016 to its current peak, and math from 72.1% to 86.2%. The most striking move is the 2025 jump in ELA, up from 70.4% the year before. Grade 3 leads the way (91% ELA, 92.6% math); grade 4 dips in ELA to 74.4% but holds 83.3% in math; grade 5 is balanced at 87.3% ELA and 83.1% math.
Culture
The 2025 surveys read like a best-case scenario. 100% of teachers say instruction quality is strong, and 99% say they feel safe and trust their principal. Parents agree: 97% trust both teachers and the principal, and 100% report strong teacher-family relationships. Discipline is a non-issue — zero suspensions across three consecutive years, against a district suspension rate of 0.25%. The only soft spot: parent satisfaction at 92% sits a hair below the district average near 94%.
Community
The student body is 55% Asian-American, with White students at 24%, Hispanic students at 18%, and very small Black or multi-racial enrollment. About 15% of students have IEPs and the economic need index is a moderate 34.9. The neighborhood profile mirrors the school: 78% of homes are owner-occupied, median household income is $109,078, and half of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Neighborhood
Bay Terrace-Clearview is exactly the kind of place where neighbors stay for decades: 78% of homes are owner-occupied, median household income sits at $109,078, and 50% of adults hold a bachelor's or higher. Families with kids make up 15.6% of households — modest in share but enough to keep schools like P.S. 209 humming. There is no subway within a 20-minute walk, so most families drive or take a bus to get around.
No subway station sits within a 20-minute walk — getting to school means driving, parent drop-off, or MTA bus.
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) · 353 families responded (83% rate)
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
PTA Fundraising
Source: DOE Local Law 171 disclosure
Discipline
NYSED Student & Educator Database (2023-24)
Economic Need & Special Populations
How to get in, step by step
Pre-K
P.S. 209 Clearview Gardens 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. 209 Clearview Gardens 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. 209 Clearview Gardens a good school?
- On Motley, P.S. 209 Clearview Gardens earns an overall rating of 85/100 — 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 25 average.
- What grades does P.S. 209 Clearview Gardens serve?
- P.S. 209 Clearview Gardens serves grades Pre-K to 5.
- How do students get into P.S. 209 Clearview Gardens?
- P.S. 209 Clearview Gardens admits by zone — children who live in its attendance zone get a guaranteed seat.
- Is P.S. 209 Clearview Gardens public, charter, or private?
- P.S. 209 Clearview Gardens is a public school in NYC Community School District 25.
- What neighborhood is P.S. 209 Clearview Gardens in?
- P.S. 209 Clearview Gardens is in Bay Terrace-Clearview, Queens.