At a Glance
A high-performing, sustainability-themed zoned school in a family-dense Staten Island suburb with test scores well above its district.
Best suited for
Zoned families who want a high-performing K-5 with a distinctive sustainability theme and a tight parent community, and who are comfortable with the suburban, car-dependent rhythm of Staten Island living.
Overall Rating
Rating = average of NY State ELA + math proficiency, grades 3–8
Bands are Motley's thresholds on a 0–100 scale, not New York State performance levels.
How this is scored→What stands out
- Math proficiency gain of nearly 24 percentage points over six years
- Zero suspensions across three consecutive school years
- 100% teacher-reported strong relationships and 100% teacher-reported safety
- Sustainability and leadership theme woven into the school's identity
- PTA fundraising of about $181 per student, well above the district average
Things to consider
- The chronic absenteeism figure of 80.4% warrants a direct conversation with the school — it's hard to square with the strong attendance rate
- Limited demographic diversity at both the school and neighborhood level
- No subway access means daily car or bus commutes for most families
- Average class size of 23.4 matches the district exactly, so class-size relief isn't a selling point here
- The 42% family survey response rate means those glowing trust numbers don't capture every household's voice
Based on 2025 data
School SummaryDistrict 31
Sits among the top tier of District 31 elementary schools, alongside peers like P.S. 35 The Clove Valley School, Naples Street Elementary, and P.S. 005 Huguenot. Test scores and overall rating are well above district norms, and the parent satisfaction number matches the district average — meaning even the typical District 31 family is happy here.
Academics
Math proficiency has climbed from 61.5% in 2019 to 85.2% in 2025 — a 24-point gain that's hard to overstate in a New York City elementary school. ELA was less steady, dipping to 66.5% in 2024 before rebounding to 81% in 2025. Both subjects now sit well above the district averages of roughly 61% in each. Every tested grade performs strongly, with grade 4 hitting nearly 90% in math and grade 5 above 85% in ELA. The overall score of 3.32 out of 4 is meaningfully above the district average of about 2.45.
Culture
Survey numbers here are unusually strong: 100% of teachers report strong relationships and feel safe, parent-teacher trust is at 95%, parent satisfaction is 93%, and teacher-reported instruction quality hits 96%. Zero suspensions across three consecutive years (2021-22 through 2023-24) tells you discipline isn't a recurring concern. Attendance is solid at 93.3%, above the district average of about 91.4%. One number worth flagging: chronic absenteeism is reported at 80.4%, which is unusually high and hard to reconcile with the attendance rate — any family considering this school should ask the office for context.
Community
The student body is 76% White, with smaller Hispanic (14%) and Asian (8%) populations — a diversity index of 44%, lower than the citywide picture. This closely mirrors the surrounding neighborhood demographics, which are majority White, high-income, and family-dense. About 23% of students have IEPs, and the economic need index of 26.2 reflects a relatively well-resourced community. PTA fundraising of about $181 per student — above the district average — signals engaged families with means to support the school.
Neighborhood
The Annadale-Huguenot-Prince's Bay-Woodrow neighborhood has a median household income of $118,500 and a poverty rate of just 5.4%. Nearly a third of households have children, homeownership runs at 79.5%, and median home values sit around $800,000. It's a suburban-feeling pocket of Staten Island where families tend to plant roots — quiet streets, drive everywhere, and know their neighbors.
No subway stations within a 20-minute walk — this is car and school-bus country. Most families drive or rely on district transportation.
Academic Performance
ELA Proficiency
Students scoring proficient or above on the NY State ELA exam.
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Math Proficiency
Students scoring proficient or above on the NY State Math exam.
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Historical Trends
The dashed line marks 2023, when New York changed its grades 3–8 state tests. Scores before and after it aren’t directly comparable.
2020–2021 data unavailable due to COVID-19
Source: NYC DOE School Quality Reports
Survey Results
NYC School Survey (2025) · 190 families responded (42% rate)
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
PTA Fundraising
Source: DOE Local Law 171 disclosure
Discipline
NYSED Student & Educator Database (2023-24)
Economic Need & Special Populations
How to get in, step by step
Pre-K
The Kathleen Grimm School for Leadership and Sustainability also has Pre-K classes. They're a separate application from kindergarten, made on MySchools.
Pre-K application
Applications typically open in the winter and close in the spring, with offers in late spring; the city announces exact dates each year.
Kindergarten
The Kathleen Grimm School for Leadership and Sustainability has an attendance zone. At elementary level, in-zone students get a guaranteed seat. Every family still applies on MySchools: the application confirms the zoned seat, and ranking other schools doesn't cost you it.
Kindergarten application
- Opens
- Wed, Dec 9
- Closes
- Fri, Jan 22
- Offers
- Tue, Mar 30
The DOE’s published dates.
- 1Check that your address is inside the zone — zones change, so confirm it before you sign a lease.
- 2Apply during the kindergarten application, even with a zoned seat.
- 3Rank this school along with any others you'd take, in true preference order.
Open houses and tours
We haven’t seen open-house dates for this school yet.
From the MySchools admissions calendar, checked weekly.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is The Kathleen Grimm School for Leadership and Sustainability a good school?
- On Motley, The Kathleen Grimm School for Leadership and Sustainability earns an overall rating of 83/100 — the average of the school's New York State ELA and math proficiency, grades 3–8, shown out of 100. Its state test results run above the District 31 average.
- What grades does The Kathleen Grimm School for Leadership and Sustainability serve?
- The Kathleen Grimm School for Leadership and Sustainability serves grades Pre-K to 5.
- How do students get into The Kathleen Grimm School for Leadership and Sustainability?
- The Kathleen Grimm School for Leadership and Sustainability admits by zone — children who live in its attendance zone get a guaranteed seat.
- Is The Kathleen Grimm School for Leadership and Sustainability public, charter, or private?
- The Kathleen Grimm School for Leadership and Sustainability is a public school in NYC Community School District 31.
- What neighborhood is The Kathleen Grimm School for Leadership and Sustainability in?
- The Kathleen Grimm School for Leadership and Sustainability is in Annadale-Huguenot-Prince's Bay-Woodrow, Staten Island.