P.S. Q016 The Nancy DeBenedittis School

Proficiency rates here are notably below district averages — 23% in ELA against a district average of about 51%, and 29.7% in math against roughly 55%. ELA peaked at 33.3% in 2019 and has slid since, hitting a low of 18% in 2024 before a partial rebound. Math has been more variable, dipping to 25.1% in 2022 and recovering to the high 30s in some years. The overall quality score of 1.05 out of 4 places the school well below the district average of 2.12. By grade, Grade 3 math (36.3%) outperforms the upper grades, suggesting students may lose ground as they progress — a pattern worth asking about during a visit.

The day-to-day atmosphere, by every measure families and teachers report, looks warm and well-connected. Parent satisfaction sits at 94%, parent-principal trust at 98%, and parent-teacher trust at 97% — all at or above district averages. Teachers rate instruction quality at 96%, also above the district norm, suggesting the classroom experience feels solid even when test scores don't reflect it. One number stands out for a different reason: chronic absenteeism is 78.8%, meaning roughly four out of five students missed 10% or more of the school year — that's a significant reach issue. On the positive side, there were zero suspensions in each of the last three reported years, an unusually consistent record. The one survey dimension that lags is teacher-reported safety at 80%, well below the district average of 95% — something to ask leadership about directly.

The student body is overwhelmingly Hispanic (94%), with small Asian (4%), White (1%), and negligible other groups, giving the school a very low diversity index of 16%. This mirrors the surrounding Corona neighborhood, which is also majority Hispanic. The economic need index of 90.7% reflects a community where most students come from lower-income households. With 1,174 students and an average class size of 24.5, this is a large, busy building — closer to a small middle school in feel than an intimate K-5.

Corona is a working-class, family-dense Queens neighborhood with a median household income around $66,000 and a poverty rate of nearly 18%. Roughly one in four households has children, and about 16% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher — numbers that shape the kinds of resources families can bring to bear on school engagement. Homeownership is low (around 22%), reflecting a renter-majority community, and the median home value of about $751,500 reflects broader Queens market pressures even in this part of the borough.

Three 7 train stops sit within walking distance: 103 St-Corona Plaza about 3 minutes away, 111 St about 7 minutes, and Junction Blvd roughly 10 minutes — making this a genuinely subway-accessible school for families coming from Jackson Heights, Elmhurst, or other 7 line neighborhoods.