At a Glance
A District 75 special education school offering a full PK–12 continuum in central Queens
Best suited for
Families of children with significant IEPs who want a stable, full PK–12 placement on a single campus, who value relationship-heavy schools, and who can arrange car, yellow-bus, or local-bus transportation given the lack of nearby subway access.
What stands out
- Full PK–12 continuum on a single campus — rare among District 75 programs
- Every student has an IEP, with the program designed specifically around significant special-education needs
- Zero suspensions across 472 students
- Parent trust in both teachers and principal at 97%
- High racial and ethnic diversity, with an 81% diversity index
Things to consider
- No subway access — reliable car, yellow-bus, or local-bus service is essentially required
- PTA fundraising is roughly half the district average ($24 per student versus roughly $50), so enrichment depends more on school funding than on parent dollars
- Teacher-reported safety (93%) and self-rated instruction quality (84%) sit a few points below district averages — worth asking about
- This is a District 75 program, which means it's the right fit for families who specifically need this continuum, not a general-ed alternative
Based on 2025 data
School SummaryDistrict 25
P.S. Q255 doesn't sit alongside District 25's general-education peers like BELL Academy or P.S. 209 — it's a District 75 special-education campus judged on a very different yardstick. Within that framework, the family-engagement numbers and the zero-suspension record stand out as real strengths, even as the survey-based instruction-quality ratings lag slightly behind the district's broader averages.
Academics
Standardized ELA and math proficiency aren't reported at the school-level for District 75 programs like this one — that's the norm rather than an omission. What the surveys do show is that 84% of teachers rate their own instruction quality positively, a few points below the district average of about 90% but credible given the complexity of the work. Parent satisfaction at 91% is similarly a touch below the district average of 94%, though still solidly positive.
Culture
The day-to-day climate is defined by strong relationships and very few behavioral incidents. Teachers trust each other at 95% and trust their principal at 94%, while parents trust both teachers and the principal at 97% — among the strongest family-trust scores you'll see in any school. Teacher-reported safety is 93%, a few points below the district average of 97%, which is worth flagging for parents but still a strong score. Zero suspensions across 472 students is a meaningful signal that behavioral interventions are working for this population.
Community
The student body is one of the more diverse in the district — Hispanic (37%), Asian (24%), and White (22%) make up most of enrollment, with Black students at 13% — broadly mirroring the multicultural fabric of the surrounding neighborhood. An economic need index of roughly 80 means a large share of families qualify for additional support, which tracks with a neighborhood where the median household income is just under $77,000.
Neighborhood
Pomonok-Electchester-Hillcrest is a residential pocket of central Queens with a median household income of about $77,000 and a 15% poverty rate — solidly middle-class with a real mix of working-class families living alongside higher earners. About 21% of households include children and 36.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, suggesting parents who are engaged but juggling real financial pressures, given that the typical home value sits around $764,000.
There are no subway stations within a 20-minute walk of the school, so getting here is car-dependent, yellow-bus-dependent, or reliant on local buses. Families should plan pickup logistics accordingly.
Survey Results
NYC School Survey (2025) · 216 families responded (38% 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. Q255 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. Q255 a good school?
- Published quality ratings aren't available for P.S. Q255 yet on Motley. It's a public school serving grades Pre-K to 12 in Pomonok-Electchester-Hillcrest.
- What grades does P.S. Q255 serve?
- P.S. Q255 serves grades Pre-K to 12.
- How do students get into P.S. Q255?
- P.S. Q255 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. Q255 public, charter, or private?
- P.S. Q255 is a public school in District 75, the city's citywide special education district.
- What neighborhood is P.S. Q255 in?
- P.S. Q255 is in Pomonok-Electchester-Hillcrest, Queens.