At a Glance
A top-performing Staten Island elementary where nearly every student meets grade-level standards in ELA and math.
Best suited for
Families zoned for the school who want top-tier academics, a calm and safe environment, and an actively engaged parent community — and who are comfortable with car-based commutes on Staten Island.
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
- ELA and math proficiency both above 97%, with math effectively at ceiling
- Zero suspensions in each of the last three school years
- Sustained upward academic trajectory across nearly a decade
- Parent satisfaction at 98% with high trust in teachers and principal
- PTA fundraising more than double the district average per student, signaling unusually engaged families
Things to consider
- The 86.3% chronic absenteeism figure is unusually high and worth asking the school to put in context
- Teacher-principal trust at 80% lags behind every other climate metric — small but worth a direct question
- There are no nearby subway stations, so this school realistically requires a car or bus arrangement
- Only 25 teachers responded to the climate survey, so teacher-side data has a wider margin of uncertainty
- Admissions are strictly zoned, so eligibility depends on residence
Based on 2024-25 data
School SummaryDistrict 31
P.S. 35 sits near the top of District 31, alongside Naples Street Elementary and P.S. 5 Huguenot. It outperforms the district by a wide margin on every measured academic and climate metric. Within a borough known for spottier academic outcomes than other parts of the city, this school is an outlier on the high end.
Academics
These are headline-making numbers for a neighborhood elementary. ELA proficiency is 97.6% and math is 99.4%, compared with district averages of about 61% in each subject. Every tested grade clears 96% in ELA and is at or near 100% in math. The improvement trajectory is striking: ELA went from 79.4% in 2016 to 97.6% in 2025, and math climbed from 75% to 99.4% over the same span. The school's overall quality score of 3.94 out of 4 sits well above the district's 2.45 average. Whatever is happening in these classrooms, the results are consistent across grade levels.
Culture
The day-to-day feel here reads as calm and trusting. There were zero suspensions over each of the last three school years, and 100% of teachers describe the school as safe. Parents report 98% satisfaction and similarly high trust in both teachers and the principal. The one wrinkle is teacher-principal trust at 80% — still respectable, but noticeably lower than every other survey dimension, which might be worth asking about on a tour. Attendance is solid at 94.4%, well above the district's 91.4%. However, the chronic absenteeism figure of 86.3% is something parents should ask the school to explain — that's a number that deserves context, given how strong everything else looks.
Community
The student body is roughly half White (50%), with significant Hispanic (20%) and Asian (15%) populations, plus smaller Black and multiracial shares. This roughly mirrors the surrounding neighborhood, where the median household income of about $109,000 and 10% poverty rate point to a solidly middle-class demographic. About 21% of students have IEPs, and the economic need index of 30.6 reflects a relatively low-need population compared with NYC as a whole. PTA fundraising of $301 per student — more than double the district average — speaks to an active, well-resourced parent base.
Neighborhood
The school serves families in the West New Brighton-Silver Lake-Grymes Hill area, where median household income is around $109,000, the poverty rate is 10%, and 57% of households own their homes. Forty-two percent of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the citywide rate. Households with children make up nearly a quarter of the area. It's a stable, family-oriented pocket of Staten Island.
There are no subway stations within a 20-minute walk of the school. Families should plan on driving, getting a ride, or using school bus service.
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) · 241 families responded (66% 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
Kindergarten
P.S. 35 The Clove Valley School 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. 35 The Clove Valley School a good school?
- On Motley, P.S. 35 The Clove Valley School earns an overall rating of 99/100 — 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 31 average.
- What grades does P.S. 35 The Clove Valley School serve?
- P.S. 35 The Clove Valley School serves grades K to 5.
- How do students get into P.S. 35 The Clove Valley School?
- P.S. 35 The Clove Valley School admits by zone — children who live in its attendance zone get a guaranteed seat.
- Is P.S. 35 The Clove Valley School public, charter, or private?
- P.S. 35 The Clove Valley School is a public school in NYC Community School District 31.
- What neighborhood is P.S. 35 The Clove Valley School in?
- P.S. 35 The Clove Valley School is in West New Brighton-Silver Lake-Grymes Hill, Staten Island.