P. S. 62 - Chester Park School

ELA proficiency of 57.9% sits just above the district average of 56.1%, while math at 56.6% lands a hair below the district's 57.3%. The longer arc is encouraging — 2016 ELA was 42.3%, and the school has nearly closed the gap through steady gains, a pandemic dip, and a recovery that pushed ELA to its highest mark on record. Scores are remarkably consistent across grades 3, 4, and 5 (54–60% range), suggesting stable instruction rather than a single grade-level outlier. Math has bounced around more than ELA over the past four years, but is close to its 2019 peak.

The survey numbers here are striking: 100% of parents report strong relationships between teachers and families, 98% trust the principal, 96% are satisfied overall, and 98% of teachers feel safe — all well above district averages. Three straight years of zero suspensions signals a genuinely calm school where kids aren't being pushed out. The honest counterweight is chronic absenteeism at 69.6% — nearly 7 in 10 students miss 10% or more of school days — even though the average daily attendance rate of 91.7% is solid. With 685 families responding to the survey (an 85% response rate), these aren't quiet numbers; they're a real chorus saying the school feels good even if attendance habits aren't where they should be.

P.S. 62's 822 students are majority Asian (50%) and Hispanic (28%), with a notable 14% identifying as Native American — a much higher share than at most NYC public schools. The South Richmond Hill neighborhood around it skews working- and middle-class, with median household income of $87,837 and 57% of homes owner-occupied, and the school's economic need index of 71.6% and 14% IEP enrollment reflect a community where many families need extra support. This is a zoned school, so its student body is essentially a mirror of the surrounding blocks.

South Richmond Hill is a Queens neighborhood defined by working-family roots — 57% of households are owner-occupied, the median home value is around $704K, and 22% of households include children. Median household income of $87,837 puts it squarely in the middle class, though only 20% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, reflecting a community where many parents work in trades, small business, and service industries. The area's strong Caribbean and South Asian flavor matches the school's student body well, and families tend to put down long-term roots here.

The school sits between the 111 St (A) station about a 7-minute walk away and the 104 St (A) station about 10 minutes away; the J train at 111 St is a longer 13-minute walk.