P.S. 21 Margaret Emery-Elm Park

P.S. 21 has gone from underperformer to slightly above average. The school now exceeds the district average in both ELA (63% vs. 61.3%) and math (62.2% vs. 61%), with an overall quality score of 2.5/4 — marginally above the district's 2.45. The long-term trend is striking: math proficiency jumped from 17.9% in 2016 to 62.2% today, and ELA climbed from 23.5% to 63%. Grade 4 is the strongest performer (68.3% ELA, 73.2% math), while Grade 5 lags somewhat in ELA (53.2%). The school has closed the gap with district peers but remains in the middle of the pack among Staten Island elementary schools.

The survey data tells a remarkable story: 95% of parents are satisfied, 98% trust the principal, 100% of teachers rate instruction quality as strong, and 96% feel safe at school. These are exceptional numbers. The catch: daily attendance sits at 89.4% — below the district average of 91.4% — and chronic absenteeism is alarmingly high at 61.1%, meaning most students miss enough school to fall behind. Suspensions are minimal (1%, or 4 students) and stable year-over-year. The day-to-day feel, based on survey responses, is clearly warm and trusting — but the attendance pattern suggests something is preventing many families from getting kids to school consistently.

With 376 students, this is a small zoned school. The population is predominantly Hispanic (59%) with significant Black enrollment (23%) and a small White minority (13%). Economic need is high at 84.2%, and a quarter of students have IEPs — reflecting a population with substantial support needs. The diversity index of 62% is moderately diverse for Staten Island, which generally has less demographic variation than other boroughs. This is a high-need community that the school serves.

Port Richmond is a working-to-middle-class Staten Island neighborhood with a strong community feel. The area has solid transit connectivity (80th percentile) and family stability (82nd percentile), though safety scores are moderate (56th percentile). About 48% of residents own homes, and the median home value is $485,918. The neighborhood has an education orientation score of 64, suggesting families here value schooling. Some environmental health indicators (lead exposure, asthma rates) show elevated concerns that are common in older urban areas.

Port Richmond is car-friendly but walkable; many families drive from surrounding Staten Island neighborhoods. The school draws from its zone, so walkability depends on where families live within that zone.