At a Glance
A suburban-feel zoned school in leafy Jamaica Estates-Holliswood with unusually broad programming but academic results that lag the district's high bar.
Best suited for
Families zoned for the school who prioritize a calm, suburban-feel setting with deep extracurricular options and are willing to engage directly with teachers to shore up academic gaps.
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
- Program richness scores a perfect 100/100, with offerings ranging from Accelerated/Honors and Algebra I to Theater, Robotics, Debate, and a school newspaper.
- Accelerated/Honors coursework is available within a zoned public school, which is uncommon in District 26's elementary-middle combos.
- Discipline numbers are extremely low (0% suspension rate, just 2 incidents last year), suggesting a calm daily environment.
- The extra-curricular catalog reads more like a middle school application list than a typical PS/IS — National Junior Honor Society, Peer Mediation, Restorative Circles, Yearbook, and Green Team all appear.
Things to consider
- ELA and math proficiency both run ~20 points below the district average — significant in District 26, where most schools clear 75% proficient.
- Chronic absenteeism at 70.7% is the standout operational concern and may partly explain the academic gap.
- Teacher-reported instruction quality (71%) and teacher-principal trust (70%) lag well behind the district, suggesting internal staff dynamics worth probing on a tour.
- Math dips sharply in 5th and 6th grade — families with kids entering those grades should ask specifically about math instruction and supports.
- PTA fundraising per student ($47) is roughly half the district average, which can limit enrichment budgets.
- Subway access is limited; expect most commutes to be by car, bus, or a long walk to the F train.
Based on 2024-25 data
School SummaryDistrict 26
In a district where peer schools like P.S. 98 Douglaston and P.S. 203 Oakland Gardens score in the low-to-mid 90s out of 100, P.S./IS 178 sits well below the pack on academic outcomes, even as it competes on programming breadth.
Academics
Proficiency lands at 53.4% in ELA and 53.3% in math — well below the district averages of roughly 76% and 80% respectively, putting this school a clear step behind its District 26 peers. The trajectory tells its own story: math has slipped from the mid-60s in 2016 to the low 50s today, while ELA has held steadier in a 51–59% band since 2016. Grade-by-grade, math dips notably in 5th and 6th grade (around 41%), which is worth asking the school about directly.
Culture
Parents feel heard and connected — parent-principal trust sits at 93% and parent-teacher trust at 92% — but staff-side signals are softer, with only 71% of teachers rating instruction quality positively and 70% expressing trust in school leadership, both well below district norms. Chronic absenteeism is high at 70.7%, meaning roughly seven in ten students miss 10% or more of the school year, which is the most pressing operational issue here. Discipline is a bright spot: just two suspensions last year, down from six the year before.
Community
The student body is 59% White, 20% Asian, 11% Hispanic, and 6% Black — whiter than a typical NYC public school, mirroring the surrounding neighborhood's demographics and feeding a moderate diversity index of 66%. About 31% of students qualify for economic need, lower than the citywide figure but not negligible in a district where many schools sit well below 10%. The school supports English Language Learners and serves 14% students with IEPs.
Neighborhood
Jamaica Estates-Holliswood is the kind of Queens neighborhood that feels closer to a suburb than to the city — over half of residents own their homes, median household income sits near $89,000, and nearly half of adults hold a bachelor's degree. Families with children make up roughly 19% of households, a relatively low share that reflects the area's empty-nester mix. It's a stable, well-resourced setting where the PTA can lean on involved families.
Public transit access is thin — the nearest subway is Jamaica-179 St on the F line, about an 18-minute walk, so most families will arrive by car or school bus.
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) · 111 families responded (22% rate)
Programs & Activities
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
Pre-K
P.S./ IS 178 Holliswood also has Pre-K classes. They're a separate application from kindergarten, made on MySchools.
Pre-K application
Applications typically open in the winter and close in the spring, with offers in late spring; the city announces exact dates each year.
Kindergarten
P.S./ IS 178 Holliswood 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.
Middle school (6th grade)
Middle school is one citywide application, made in 5th grade. P.S./ IS 178 Holliswood admits through one program, and each one has its own admissions method:
- P.S. /I.S. 178 HolliswoodZoned47 seats
Middle school application
- Opened
- Wed, Oct 14
- Closes
- Fri, Dec 11
- Offers
- Wed, Apr 7
The DOE’s published dates.
- 1Apply on MySchools during the middle school application, in 5th grade.
- 2Zoned programs give priority to students who live in the zone — a priority, not a guaranteed seat.
- 3Rank programs in true preference order — the match places your child in the highest-ranked one that offers a seat.
Open houses and tours
We haven’t seen open-house dates for this school yet.
From the MySchools admissions calendar, checked weekly.
Make this school part of your plan
Everything on this page is yours to read. An account keeps your research in one place.
No credit card required
Compare head-to-head
Explore nearby
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is P.S./ IS 178 Holliswood a good school?
- On Motley, P.S./ IS 178 Holliswood earns an overall rating of 53/100 — 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 below the District 26 average.
- What grades does P.S./ IS 178 Holliswood serve?
- P.S./ IS 178 Holliswood serves grades Pre-K to 8.
- How do students get into P.S./ IS 178 Holliswood?
- P.S./ IS 178 Holliswood admits by zone. For elementary grades, children who live in its zone get a guaranteed seat; for the older grades, living in the zone gives priority, not a guaranteed seat.
- Is P.S./ IS 178 Holliswood public, charter, or private?
- P.S./ IS 178 Holliswood is a public school in NYC Community School District 26.
- What neighborhood is P.S./ IS 178 Holliswood in?
- P.S./ IS 178 Holliswood is in Jamaica Estates-Holliswood, Queens.