At a Glance
A Port Richmond elementary with a striking academic turnaround — though getting kids through the door every day remains the unfinished work
Best suited for
Families who want a school with strong family-teacher relationships, a proven track record of academic growth, and a diverse student body — and who can manage a car or bus-dependent commute.
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 tripled since 2016, from 17.9% to 62.2% — one of the more dramatic academic climbs in the borough
- Parent-principal trust is 98%, signaling an unusually connected school community where families feel genuinely heard
- With 25% of students on IEPs, the school supports a notably wide range of learning needs
- Teacher-reported safety at 96% outpaces the district average of 94.8%, and discipline incidents are minimal
Things to consider
- Chronic absenteeism at 61% means many students are missing significant school time, which can undercut even strong classroom instruction
- Grade 3 math proficiency at 48.9% lags behind the school's stronger upper grades
- No subway access within a 20-minute walk means commute logistics matter more here than in most NYC neighborhoods
- The economic need index of 84.2 means most families are navigating financial pressures that can affect school engagement
Based on 2023-24 data
School SummaryDistrict 31
P.S. 21 lands slightly above District 31's averages on ELA, math, and overall score, putting it solidly in the middle of the pack. Among borough peers like P.S. 35, Naples Street, and P.S. 5 — which score in the 90s — this school is a mid-tier performer with one of the more dramatic improvement trajectories in the district.
Academics
ELA proficiency at 63% and math at 62.2% both edge just above District 31 averages (61.3% and 61.0%), modest margins that look more impressive given where this school started. Back in 2016, ELA proficiency was 23.5% and math was 17.9% — those numbers have nearly tripled, with math's climb particularly steep. The trajectory is clearly upward, with the last three years showing steady gains on both measures, though ELA dipped slightly in 2023 before recovering. Grade 4 is the academic standout at 68% ELA and 73% math, while Grade 3 math at 48.9% is the obvious weak spot.
Culture
The survey numbers here are exceptional: 100% of teachers rate instruction quality highly, 98% of parents trust both the principal and their child's teacher, and 96% of teachers report feeling safe — all above district averages. Discipline is calm, with just 4 suspensions last year and a 1% suspension rate. But chronic absenteeism at 61.1% is the hard counterweight to all that — more than three out of five students missed enough school to be flagged chronically absent, well above the district norm. The families who engage feel deeply connected; the challenge is reaching the ones who don't.
Community
P.S. 21 serves 376 students in pre-K through fifth grade, the majority Hispanic (59%) with a substantial Black population (23%), a smaller White contingent (13%), and a few Asian and multiracial families rounding out the room. The student body's economic need index of 84.2 — among the highest in the district — mirrors Port Richmond's working-class character, where the median household income is $74,560 and more than one in five residents lives below the poverty line. A quarter of students have IEPs, reflecting a wide range of learning needs the school is set up to serve.
Neighborhood
Port Richmond is one of Staten Island's more diverse and working-class neighborhoods, with just over a quarter of adults holding a bachelor's degree and a homeownership rate near 49%. The median home value sits around $486,000 — relatively modest by NYC standards — and about 18% of households include children, a fairly typical share for the borough. The area has a noticeable mix of longtime residents and newer arrivals, with family density and economic diversity giving the neighborhood a lived-in, multigenerational feel.
The school is beyond walking distance of the subway, so most families rely on cars, school buses, or MTA local buses to get there.
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) · 224 families responded (62% 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. 21 Margaret Emery-Elm Park 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. 21 Margaret Emery-Elm Park 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. 21 Margaret Emery-Elm Park a good school?
- On Motley, P.S. 21 Margaret Emery-Elm Park earns an overall rating of 63/100 — 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 in line with the District 31 average.
- What grades does P.S. 21 Margaret Emery-Elm Park serve?
- P.S. 21 Margaret Emery-Elm Park serves grades Pre-K to 5.
- How do students get into P.S. 21 Margaret Emery-Elm Park?
- P.S. 21 Margaret Emery-Elm Park admits by zone — children who live in its attendance zone get a guaranteed seat.
- Is P.S. 21 Margaret Emery-Elm Park public, charter, or private?
- P.S. 21 Margaret Emery-Elm Park is a public school in NYC Community School District 31.
- What neighborhood is P.S. 21 Margaret Emery-Elm Park in?
- P.S. 21 Margaret Emery-Elm Park is in Port Richmond, Staten Island.