P.S. 290 Manhattan New School

P.S. 290's test scores are exceptional and trending upward: ELA proficiency has climbed from 78% in 2016 to 94% in 2025, while math rose from 78% to 96% over the same period — both well above the district averages of roughly 73%. Scores dipped in 2022 (78% ELA, 79% math) during the post-pandemic shakeout, but the school has rebounded sharply, with 2025 marking its strongest year on record. Grade-level results are similarly strong across the board, with Grade 4 hitting a perfect 100% in ELA and Grade 5 at 97.5% in math.

The day-to-day feel here is calm and collaborative: teacher-reported safety sits at 100%, suspensions are essentially nonexistent (one in 2023-24, zero in the two years prior), and parent-teacher trust is at 96%. Attendance is strong at 94.6%, above the district's 92%. The one number that gives pause is teacher-reported instruction quality at 79% — notably below the district average of 90% — which suggests teachers may have a more critical view of classroom conditions than parents do. With a 60% family survey response rate (265 responses), the parent voice in this profile is well-represented.

P.S. 290's student body closely mirrors its Yorkville surroundings: 65% white, 12% Asian, 10% Hispanic, 8% multiracial, and 3% Black, with an economic need index of just 11.6 (very low, meaning few students come from low-income households). The neighborhood's median household income of $136,925 and 76.7% college-educated rate help explain both the demographic makeup and the school's $992-per-student PTA fundraising — nearly double the district average of $517. This is a school where the families inside it largely look like the families on the block.

Yorkville is one of the Upper East Side's most family-dense pockets, with a median household income of nearly $137,000 and a poverty rate under 8%. Most residents rent rather than own (29% homeownership), and the population skews well-credentialed — over three-quarters of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher. Only about 13% of neighborhood households include children, which is lower than you might expect, reflecting the area's mix of longtime empty-nesters and young professional renters alongside the families who do stick around.

Families can reach the school from the Q at 86 St (about a 4-minute walk) or the 4/5/6 at 86 St (about 7 minutes), with the 6 at 77 St (about 8 minutes) as a third option.