At a Glance
A Kew Gardens Hills Jewish day school pairing Torah study with a STEAM-rooted secular curriculum.
Best suited for
Queens Jewish families with elementary-age children who want a faith-based education with real academic structure, especially those for whom an affordable tuition and a homogeneous community are positives rather than drawbacks.
What stands out
- The Tal Am program integrates Hebrew language instruction with Bible and Jewish culture in a structured, sequential curriculum used by Jewish day schools nationwide.
- The Akiva Program offers a track for high-achieving students, providing academic stretch beyond the standard classroom.
- STEAM is built into the school's secular curriculum, with robotics offered at the middle-school level.
- Tuition of $10,000–$11,999 is markedly lower than most NYC Jewish day schools, which often run two to four times that figure.
- An absolute charter from the NYS Board of Regents dating back to 1959 signals long-standing institutional legitimacy.
Things to consider
- The student body is almost entirely from one demographic background, so families looking for a deliberately diverse environment may want to look elsewhere.
- No subway within a 20-minute walk means the commute will typically involve a car or school bus — a real factor for car-free families.
- Even at the modest end of NYC Jewish day school tuition, $10K–$12K is a meaningful annual commitment.
- The school serves elementary grades (PK–5) per the enrollment data, so families will face a transition when moving on to middle and high school.
Identity
Solomon Schechter School of Queens is a coeducational Jewish day school serving elementary-age children, with a stated mission of inspiring academic excellence alongside Jewish identity, love of Torah, and connection to Zionism. It has held an absolute charter from the New York State Board of Regents since 1959, giving it a long institutional track record. The school balances Judaic and general studies within a single school day rather than treating religious education as an after-thought.
Community
The student body is overwhelmingly drawn from a single demographic — about 99% White on the enrollment data provided, with a diversity index of 0.05 on a 0–1 scale. This is a tightly homogeneous community, reflecting both the neighborhood and the specific families the school has historically served. Parent reviewers on social media describe it as welcoming with strong community spirit, with 96% recommending it.
Neighborhood
Kew Gardens Hills is a middle-income Queens neighborhood where the median household income is roughly $85,000 and nearly half of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. About 12% of residents live below the poverty line, which puts this firmly in the stable, working- and middle-class range rather than either wealthy or struggling. It's the kind of neighborhood where synagogues, Jewish day schools, and kosher groceries sit comfortably alongside more secular blocks.
The school is beyond walking distance of the subway — there are no subway stations within a 20-minute walk, so families will rely on driving, school buses, or local buses for the commute.
Notable Programs
What Parents Are Saying
96% of reviewers recommend the school; described as welcoming with a strong community spirit and compassion; rated 4.6 out of 10 from 16 reviews
Synthesized from public parent reviews · Apr 2026
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is SOLOMON SCHECHTER SCHOOL-QUEENS a good school?
- Published quality ratings aren't available for SOLOMON SCHECHTER SCHOOL-QUEENS yet on Motley. It's a private school serving grades Pre-K to 5 in Kew Gardens Hills.
- What grades does SOLOMON SCHECHTER SCHOOL-QUEENS serve?
- SOLOMON SCHECHTER SCHOOL-QUEENS serves grades Pre-K to 5.
- How do students get into SOLOMON SCHECHTER SCHOOL-QUEENS?
- SOLOMON SCHECHTER SCHOOL-QUEENS runs its own private admissions process — typically an application, a visit, and sometimes testing.
- Is SOLOMON SCHECHTER SCHOOL-QUEENS public, charter, or private?
- SOLOMON SCHECHTER SCHOOL-QUEENS is a private school.
- What neighborhood is SOLOMON SCHECHTER SCHOOL-QUEENS in?
- SOLOMON SCHECHTER SCHOOL-QUEENS is in Kew Gardens Hills, Queens.