P.S. 89

P.S. 89's academics are well above the District 2 average and have trended upward over the past two years. ELA proficiency sits at 95.8%, far above the district average of 73.2%, with a striking jump from 80.8% in 2024 to 95.8% in 2025. Math proficiency is 92.7%, also far above the district's 72.5%, and has been steady in the 85–92% range for nearly a decade. The overall quality review score of 3.77 out of 4 is excellent, and every tested grade cohort (3, 4, and 5) clears 89% in both subjects, indicating consistent strength rather than one grade carrying the school.

The culture here is exceptionally warm by school-survey standards. Teacher-principal trust is at 98%, teacher-reported safety is at 100%, and 100% of teachers say there are strong relationships among colleagues — numbers that beat the district average on nearly every dimension. Parent satisfaction is 90% (on par with the district) but the deeper trust measures tell the real story: 97% parent-teacher trust and 96% parent-principal trust suggest families feel genuinely connected to the school, not just informed. The 2023–24 discipline data shows zero suspensions, matching a three-year pattern of zero suspensions — a notable contrast to the district average suspension rate of about 0.3%. Attendance is solid at 94.4%, above the district's 91.95%, though one metric worth flagging is that chronic absenteeism is reported at 86.9% — a figure that seems counterintuitive given the high attendance rate and may reflect how the data is reported; parents should ask the school directly what this number means for their child.

The student body reflects the surrounding neighborhood more than the city as a whole: 53% White, 23% Asian, 12% Multiracial, 11% Hispanic, 1% Black, and 1% Native American. The economic need index is just 10.6, far below the citywide figure, meaning very few students qualify for free lunch — this is an affluent school body. PTA fundraising of $750,230 totals about $2,162 per student, more than four times the district average of $516, which translates into enriched programming, field trips, and materials. IEP enrollment is 14%, roughly in line with district norms, meaning students with disabilities are part of the community here.

The Financial District-Battery Park City neighborhood is one of the most affluent in Manhattan, with a median household income of $192,111 and a poverty rate of just 6.1%. Education levels are high — 82.7% of adults have a bachelor's degree — and only 13.9% of households include children, meaning this is fundamentally an adult and commuter neighborhood that happens to have a few blocks of family housing. The school draws from this relatively small pool of local families, which keeps the community tight.

Families reach P.S. 89 by subway using the Chambers St station (1, 2, 3 lines) about a 6-minute walk away, the WTC Cortlandt station (1 line) about 8 minutes, or the World Trade Center station (E line) also about 8 minutes. The area is generally walkable, though the residential catchment is somewhat spread out.