The Michael J. Petrides School

Petrides' 2025 ELA proficiency of 68.3% is well above the district average of about 61% and continues a sharp upward trend from 46.1% in 2016. Math tells a different story — 55.8% proficiency sits below the district average of about 61%, and the trajectory has been bumpy, with a notable dip to 42.7% in 2022 before recovering. Scores vary meaningfully by grade: Grade 3 students are performing strongly in both subjects, while Grade 6 math drops to 31.7% and Grade 8 math sits at 41.5%. The overall school quality score of 2.48/4 is essentially at the district average of 2.45, so families should expect a solid but not standout academic experience, with clear strengths in literacy and real unevenness in middle school math.

Survey results paint an unusually warm picture. Parent satisfaction sits at 94% (above the district average of about 93%), parent-principal trust at 97%, parent-teacher trust at 95%, and 100% of teachers report strong relationships and feeling safe. There were zero suspensions, compared to a district average that's slightly higher. The one number that warrants a closer look is chronic absenteeism at 72.4% — high enough to suggest a real attendance concern, even though the overall attendance rate of 91.9% is essentially at the district norm. Day-to-day, this is a school where adults trust one another and kids feel safe, even as the community wrestles with getting children to school consistently.

Petrides draws from across the borough and beyond, but its demographics don't perfectly mirror its wealthy surroundings. In a neighborhood where the median household income tops $107,000, the student body is mixed: about 33% White, 31% Hispanic, 21% Black, 12% Asian, with a diversity index of 78%. The economic need index of 54.7 is far lower than the neighborhood census alone would predict, suggesting the school serves a meaningful share of lower-income Staten Island families alongside its wealthier neighbors. About 28% of students have IEPs, noticeably above typical rates.

Todt Hill-Emerson Hill-Lighthouse Hill-Manor Heights is one of Staten Island's wealthiest enclaves — median household income over $107,000, more than 74% of homes owned rather than rented, and a median home value approaching $817,000. Roughly 28% of households here have children, and 42% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. It's a homeowner-heavy, suburban-feeling pocket of the borough.

There are no subway stations within a 20-minute walk of the school, so families are largely car- or school-bus-dependent. Getting here by public transit means taking a bus.