Waterside School For Leadership

The school has made remarkable progress from its 2016 baseline — when ELA sat at 23% and math at just 8% — but recent scores show a concerning reversal. ELA proficiency at 50.4% and math at 34.6% both fall below the district averages of 56% and 57% respectively. The 8th graders are performing notably stronger (68% ELA, 39% math) than their younger peers, suggesting the school may be adding value over time, though the 6th and 7th grade scores (35% and 38% ELA) drag down the overall picture. The overall quality score of 1.7 out of 4 places this school well below the district average of 2.27.

The survey data reveals a school where trust runs extremely high — 100% of parents trust both teachers and the principal, and 95% of teachers trust the principal. Parent satisfaction sits at 93%, slightly above the district average. However, teacher-reported instruction quality (83%) falls below the district average of 91%, which may connect to the academic struggles. Attendance is essentially average at 89.8%, but chronic absenteeism is a serious concern at 64% — meaning nearly two-thirds of students are missing significant school time. The discipline picture is concerning: the suspension rate of 4% is eight times the district average of 0.5%, and suspensions have increased from 3 in 2021-22 to 7 last year.

With just 165 students across three grades, this is a very small middle school. The student body is predominantly Black (54%) and Hispanic (32%), with small percentages of white (7%), Asian (4%), and multi-racial (2%) students. Notably, 32% of students have IEPs — well above typical middle schools — and the economic need index sits at 76.4%, indicating significant poverty. This contrasts sharply with the surrounding neighborhood, which has a median household income of $115,000 and only 9% poverty rate. The diversity index of 64% reflects the school's more diverse enrollment compared to its predominantly white, affluent neighborhood.

This school sits in the Breezy Point-Belle Harbor-Rockaway Park-Broad Channel area — a coastal, residential neighborhood in far eastern Queens known for single-family homes, beaches, and a strong community identity. The area scores very high on stability (96%) and safety (76%), with low poverty (9.3%) and high homeownership (66%). However, transit access is extremely limited (20%), meaning most families will need a car. The education orientation score of 64% suggests this is a family-oriented neighborhood, though the schools in the area generally perform well above this one. The health environment scores show some concern about air quality and asthma rates.

This is a car-dependent neighborhood. With a transit score of only 20, families will almost certainly need to drive or get dropped off. The school is on Beach 110 Street in the Rockaway Peninsula, which is relatively remote from the rest of Queens.