P.S. 273

ELA proficiency at 57.7% is just above the district average of 56.1%, while math at 54.6% sits slightly below the district's 57.3%. The more interesting story is the trajectory: math has climbed from 38% in 2016 to a peak of 60% in 2024 — a real, sustained improvement — though it dipped back this year. ELA has been more volatile, hitting 57% in 2019, sliding into the high 30s and low 50s during the pandemic years, and recovering to 57.7% in 2025. The grade-level breakdown is striking: third-graders test at 81% in ELA and 74% in math, but fourth- and fifth-graders sit in the 40s and low 50s, meaning students who start strong here appear to lose ground as they move up.

Daily attendance at 90.2% is essentially in line with the district, but chronic absenteeism at 59.4% is alarmingly high — nearly six in ten students miss 10% or more of the school year, which is the kind of gap that quietly erodes everything else. Parents, though, are unusually happy: 95% parent satisfaction (above the district's 92.6%), 97% parent-teacher trust, and 98% parent-principal trust suggest families feel genuinely heard. Teachers rate instruction quality at 96% — well above the district's 90.9% — but only 74% trust the principal, a meaningful gap between how parents and teachers see leadership. There have been zero suspensions for three consecutive years, which is worth noting.

Of 318 students, 75% are Hispanic and 15% are Asian, with small numbers of Black, White, and Native American students, giving the school a clear cultural identity rather than a mix of everything. The diversity index of 48% reflects that majority-Hispanic composition. An economic need index of 69.4% means most students come from low-income households, and 18% have IEPs. Fundraising tells its own story: PTA brings in just $21 per student versus $121 across the district, a reflection of the working-family demographics that fill the building.

Richmond Hill is a working- and middle-class neighborhood in southern Queens with a median household income around $78,000 and a poverty rate of 11.7%. About a quarter of households have children, and homeownership sits near 47% — a fairly even split between owners and renters. About 28% of adults hold a bachelor's degree. The J and Z trains run right through the area, with a station essentially at the school's front door, making this one of the better-served zoned locations in District 27 for families who rely on public transit.

The school is about a 3-minute walk from the 104 St station on the J and Z lines, with Woodhaven Blvd (J, Z) about 8 minutes away and 111 St (J) about 10 minutes — about as convenient a subway commute as you'll find in this part of Queens.