At a Glance
A Rockaways elementary where test scores have nearly doubled in a decade, anchored by near-perfect family trust
Best suited for
Families zoned for or near the Rockaways who want a zoned elementary with proven academic gains, strong family-school trust, and an arts-leaning identity — and who are willing to ask hard questions about attendance and ensure their child is showing up consistently.
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
- Nearly doubled ELA and math proficiency over the past decade — from the mid-30s to the low 70s
- Perfect 100% parent-reported strong relationships and 99% teacher-reported safety
- Zero suspensions sustained for three consecutive years
- Studio-school identity suggesting an arts-integrated approach to elementary education
- Grade 5 ELA at 80.9% — the strongest grade-level performance in the school
Things to consider
- Chronic absenteeism at 66% is a real concern — most students are missing nearly four weeks of school a year, even with above-average overall attendance
- Economic need index of 65% means a meaningful share of families are under financial pressure, which can affect enrichment and family capacity
- 21% of students have IEPs — a robust special education population that reflects both need and inclusion
- Zoned admissions only — families outside the zone will need to weigh commute time, especially given the Rockaways' distance from much of the borough
- Only 18.4% of neighborhood households have children, so the school is serving a broader draw than just its immediate census area
Based on 2025 data
School SummaryDistrict 27
Waterside's 2.9/4 overall score places it well above the District 27 average of 2.27. Among the high-rated peer schools listed, most are charters (Success Academy South Jamaica, Peninsula Prep, Wave Prep), so for families wanting a strong zoned public elementary, Waterside stands out as one of the more compelling options in the district.
Academics
Waterside posts 72% ELA proficiency and 72.9% math proficiency, both meaningfully above the district averages of 56% and 57.3%. The school's overall quality score of 2.9/4 sits well above the district's 2.27/4. What makes the picture more striking is the trajectory: in 2016, only about a third of students were meeting ELA and math standards; by 2025, roughly three-quarters are. That's a near-doubling over nine years. Grade-level breakdowns show Grade 5 ELA leading the way at 80.9%, with Grade 4 math at 78% — both well above typical City thresholds.
Culture
The day-to-day feel at Waterside reads warm and tight-knit. Parents give the school a 94% satisfaction mark (above the district's 92.6%), and trust scores are unusually high — 97% parent-teacher trust, 98% parent-principal trust, and a perfect 100% on strong relationships. Teachers report 94% instruction quality and 99% safety, both above district norms. Discipline tells its own story: zero suspensions for three straight years. The one number parents should hold honestly is 66% chronic absenteeism — most students here are missing 18 or more days a year, even as overall attendance runs a touch above district average at 91%. That's a real flag worth tracking.
Community
The school body is majority Hispanic (49%), with sizable Black (23%) and White (20%) populations, plus a small Asian contingent — a diversity index of 72%. That mix looks different from the immediate surrounding census tract, which skews wealthier and Whiter, suggesting the school draws from a broader swath of the Rockaways than just the beach blocks on its doorstep. About 21% of students have IEPs, and the economic need index sits at 65%, indicating a meaningful share of families navigating economic pressure.
Neighborhood
Waterside is located in the Breezy Point-Belle Harbor-Rockaway Park-Broad Channel area, a coastal pocket of the Rockaways where median household income tops $115,000 and only 9.3% of residents live below the poverty line. Homeownership is high at 65.9%, and median home values reach about $784,000. Just 18.4% of households here have children, lower than a typical family-heavy neighborhood, which is one reason this school is zoned and draws a particular family mix.
The Rockaway Park-Beach 116 St station (A, S) is roughly a four-minute walk, with Beach 105 St (A, S) about eight minutes away and Beach 98 St (A, S) around 15 minutes — solid subway access for an outer-borough beach community
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) · 238 families responded (55% rate)
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Discipline
NYSED Student & Educator Database (2023-24)
Economic Need & Special Populations
How to get in, step by step
Pre-K
Waterside Children's Studio School 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
Waterside Children's Studio School 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 Waterside Children's Studio School a good school?
- On Motley, Waterside Children's Studio School earns an overall rating of 73/100 — 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 27 average.
- What grades does Waterside Children's Studio School serve?
- Waterside Children's Studio School serves grades Pre-K to 5.
- How do students get into Waterside Children's Studio School?
- Waterside Children's Studio School admits by zone — children who live in its attendance zone get a guaranteed seat.
- Is Waterside Children's Studio School public, charter, or private?
- Waterside Children's Studio School is a public school in NYC Community School District 27.
- What neighborhood is Waterside Children's Studio School in?
- Waterside Children's Studio School is in Breezy Point-Belle Harbor-Rockaway Park-Broad Channel, Queens.