At a Glance
A District 75 special education school serving students with IEPs from pre-K through twelfth grade in Forest Hills
Best suited for
Families whose child has an IEP and is seeking a dedicated special education setting with a wide grade span, strong family-teacher relationships, and a calm, individualized environment
What stands out
- Every enrolled student has an Individualized Education Program, making this a fully self-contained special education setting
- Zero suspensions reported in the most recent survey period — a remarkable figure against the district average
- An unusually wide grade span from pre-K through twelfth grade within one school community
- 89% family survey response rate with 481 respondents — one of the highest engagement levels in the dataset
Things to consider
- This is a District 75 school, not a general-education zoned school — every student has an IEP and families should expect an entirely different model than a typical public school
- PTA fundraising totals just about $5 per student, far below the District 28 average of roughly $165 per student, which likely limits enrichment and extracurricular budgets
- The lack of nearby subway access means transportation logistics matter — car, bus, or arranged services are the realistic options
- A single building serving pre-K through twelfth grade is rare and may suit some families better than others depending on a child's social and developmental needs
Based on 2025 data
School SummaryDistrict 28
P.S. Q233 sits outside the conventional District 28 peer set because it belongs to District 75, the city's separate special education district. The peer schools listed — P.S. 196, The Academy for Excellence through the Arts, P.S. 101, and others — are general-education schools and serve as context for neighborhood options rather than direct comparators. Within its mission, however, the school posts trust and satisfaction scores that exceed most District 28 averages.
Academics
No state ELA or math proficiency scores are reported for this school, which is typical for District 75 settings where students work toward individualized IEP goals rather than grade-level state standards. The average class size of about 24.5 students is in line with the District 28 average of roughly 24.5, suggesting comparable staffing density to a general-education school in the same borough. Without proficiency data, academic progress at P.S. Q233 is best understood through individual student plans and family-reported experience rather than test-score rankings.
Culture
The climate numbers here are unusually strong. Parent-teacher trust sits at 99% and parent-principal trust at 99%, with parent satisfaction at 95% — all well above the District 28 averages. Teachers report 96% confidence in instruction quality (vs. a district average near 92%) and 94% trust in their principal. The school recorded zero suspensions in the survey period, an outlier compared to the district average suspension rate of about 0.37%. With 481 family survey responses and an 89% response rate, the picture painted is of a close-knit community where families feel heard and educators feel supported by leadership.
Community
The student body reflects a genuinely mixed population: roughly one-third Black, one-third Hispanic, with Asian and White students making up most of the remainder, plus a small Native American share. This matches the broader Forest Hills census profile of a stable, middle-to-upper-middle-income neighborhood with strong educational attainment (about 61% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher) and a poverty rate under 8%. Because P.S. Q233 is a District 75 citywide program, its students likely travel in from beyond the immediate neighborhood, so the school community is more geographically diverse than the surrounding census tract suggests.
Neighborhood
Forest Hills is a settled, family-oriented Queens neighborhood with a median household income around $104,000, a low poverty rate near 8%, and a homeownership rate just under 50%. About 18% of households include children, and most adult residents have a college degree, signaling a stable, educated population. The area has a suburban feel for Queens — quiet blocks, owner-occupied co-ops and single-family homes, and a strong civic identity — but it sits well outside the subway network.
No subway stations are within a 20-minute walk, so most families and staff rely on bus service, car drop-off, or arranged school transportation to reach the building
Survey Results
NYC School Survey (2025) · 481 families responded (89% rate)
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
PTA Fundraising
Source: DOE Local Law 171 disclosure
Discipline
NYSED Student & Educator Database
Economic Need & Special Populations
How to get in, step by step
P.S. Q233 is a District 75 school, part of the city's network of programs for students with significant disabilities. There's no application to file: a child is placed here when their IEP recommends a District 75 setting.
- 1Talk with your child's IEP team about the setting the IEP recommends.
- 2If it recommends a District 75 program, the DOE offers the seat — ask the team which programs they're considering and visit them.
District 75 is the city's citywide district for students with significant disabilities. In the DOE's words, it provides “highly specialized instructional support” for students with challenges such as autism, significant cognitive delays, emotional disabilities, sensory impairments and multiple disabilities.
Its classes run in schools where every student has an IEP, as special classes inside District 1–32 schools, in general education classrooms, and in agencies, hospitals and at home. The IEP team, which includes you, recommends the program and class size.
From NYC Public Schools' District 75 page, read October 17, 2026.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is P.S. Q233 a good school?
- Published quality ratings aren't available for P.S. Q233 yet on Motley. It's a public school serving grades Pre-K to 12 in Forest Hills.
- What grades does P.S. Q233 serve?
- P.S. Q233 serves grades Pre-K to 12.
- How do students get into P.S. Q233?
- P.S. Q233 is a District 75 school, part of the city's citywide district for students with significant disabilities. There's no application: a child is placed here when their IEP team recommends a District 75 setting.
- Is P.S. Q233 public, charter, or private?
- P.S. Q233 is a public school in District 75, the city's citywide special education district.
- What neighborhood is P.S. Q233 in?
- P.S. Q233 is in Forest Hills, Queens.