P.S. Q086

P.S. Q086's overall rating of 2.66 out of 4 sits comfortably above the District 28 average of 2.51, and the trajectory tells the real story. Math proficiency has climbed from 43.8% in 2016 to 72% in 2025, a remarkable run that now puts the school 9 points above the district average. ELA proficiency at 61.1% is roughly on par with the district (62.8%), having risen from a low of 37.4% in 2017. The 5th-grade cohort is the strongest in the building, with 79% math proficiency and 67% in ELA — meaningful gains as kids move through the school rather than declines that are common elsewhere.

The school's strongest signals come from families. Parent satisfaction is 95% (above the district's 92.6%), parent-teacher trust is 96%, and parent-principal trust is 97% — these are unusually high numbers that suggest the front office and teachers are genuinely accessible. Strong family relationships landed at a perfect 100%. The flip side is chronic absenteeism at 64.9%, well above what parents might expect, even though the overall attendance rate of 91.2% is roughly average. Teacher-reported safety (91%) and instruction quality (88%) sit a few points below the district averages, which is worth noting. On the discipline front, the school has reported zero suspensions for three straight years — a notable data point.

The student body skews Asian (59%) and Hispanic (32%), with smaller Black, White, and Native American populations. About 78% of students qualify for economic need support, which is high, and 14% have IEPs. The PTA's per-student fundraising is just $7, compared to the district's $165 average, which is one of the clearest signals that organized parent fundraising has not taken hold here despite the strong satisfaction scores.

Jamaics Hills-Briarwood is a working- and middle-class neighborhood in central Queens where roughly a quarter of households include children, median household income is around $84,000, and about 44% of adults hold a bachelor's degree. The housing stock is a mix of owner- and renter-occupied, with a median home value near $612,000 — substantial for a Queens zip code. The poverty rate of 13.4% is moderate but not absent, and it tracks with the school's elevated economic need index.

The school is well-served by transit. The Parsons Blvd stop on the F line is about a 3-minute walk, Sutphin Blvd on the F is roughly 10 minutes away, and Jamaica Center-Parsons/Archer on the E, J, and Z lines is about 11 minutes on foot, giving families options from Manhattan, Brooklyn, and eastern Queens.