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Ps 186 Castlewood

Q: Is Ps 186 Castlewood a good school?

Ps 186 Castlewood ranks 324 th of 2445 New York elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

324^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,445 New York Elementary Schools

Better than 87% of New York elementary schools

Summary

PS 186 Castlewood is an exceptional elementary school located in Bellerose, New York, serving 346 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the New York City Geographic District #26, which is ranked 202 out of 874 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

PS 186 Castlewood consistently delivers strong academic performance, with a high percentage of students proficient or better in English Language Arts (ELA) and Math across grades 3-5. In the 2024-2025 school year, the school's ELA proficiency rates ranged from 68.97% (3rd grade) to 78.79% (5th grade), outperforming the New York City District #26 and statewide averages. Similarly, the school's Math proficiency rates were exceptional, ranging from 74.29% (5th grade) to 93.33% (3rd grade). The school also ranks highly for Hispanic students (75th out of 1,569 schools in 2024-2025) and Special Education students (164th out of 2,134 schools in 2024-2025), indicating that it is effectively serving these populations.

When compared to other nearby elementary schools in the same district, such as James J Ambrose School and PS 221 North Hills School, PS 186 Castlewood generally outperforms its peers on state assessments. The school has maintained a consistent 4- or 5-star rating from SchoolDigger over the past decade and has remained in the top 25% of New York elementary schools for most of the past 10 years, despite having a relatively high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds (48.84% in 2023-2024). This suggests that the school is effectively supporting and meeting the needs of its diverse student population.

319

Students ?

6.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$59,399

Per pupil spending ?

48%

Free/discounted lunch ?

252-12 72nd Ave
Bellerose, NY 11426-2799

(718) 831-4021

District: New York City Geographic District #26

Students who attend Ps 186 Castlewood usually attend:

High:

Martin Van Buren High School

Racial breakdown:

Asian:

41.4%

Hispanic:

24.5%

White:

15.7%

See top rated New York elementary schools

Compare Ps 186 Castlewood to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 71st percentile in 2021 → 87th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the New York average (76% vs 55% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 13% of New York elementary schools

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 87th (2025) from a 71st-percentile low (2021)

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school76%

District avg76%

New York avg55%

324^th of 2,445

New York public elementary schools ?

Top 13%▼ down 6 pts since 2015

From top 7% (2015) to top 13% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of New York Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

10^th of 22Elementary Schools in the New York City Geographic District #26

202^nd of 874New York City Geographic District #26 among New York districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New York percentile	Rating
2025	84.3	324 of 2445	86.7%	★★★★☆
2024	85.7	299 of 2445	87.8%	★★★★☆
2023	79.1	458 of 2439	81.2%	★★★★☆
2022	77.1	490 of 2434	79.9%	★★★★☆
2021	68.9	629 of 2201	71.4%	★★★★☆
2019	82.9	364 of 2413	84.9%	★★★★☆
2018	85.1	266 of 2395	88.9%	★★★★☆
2017	87.5	209 of 2386	91.2%	★★★★★
2016	89.0	156 of 2366	93.4%	★★★★★
2015	89.2	163 of 2352	93.1%	★★★★★
2014	91.2	120 of 2345	94.9%	★★★★★
2013	86.9	217 of 2325	90.7%	★★★★★
2012	84.6	230 of 2320	90.1%	★★★★★
2011	86.9	165 of 2286	92.8%	★★★★★
2010	76.3	480 of 2263	78.8%	★★★★☆
2009	80.0	277 of 2257	87.7%	★★★★☆
2008	84.1	137 of 2227	93.8%	★★★★★
2007	82.1	246 of 2219	88.9%	★★★★☆
2006	78.1	396 of 2206	82.0%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New York percentile	Rating
2024	78.3	137 of 927	85.2%	★★★★☆
2019	84.5	104 of 891	88.3%	★★★★☆
2018	92.2	48 of 948	94.9%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New York percentile	Rating
2025	54.0	368 of 696	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	67.5	218 of 662	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	66.7	211 of 605	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	73.6	158 of 671	76.5%	★★★★☆
2021	42.5	296 of 430	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	53.7	299 of 548	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	65.6	213 of 601	64.6%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New York percentile	Rating
2025	88.2	214 of 2409	91.1%	★★★★★
2024	83.5	319 of 2413	86.8%	★★★★☆
2023	72.6	588 of 2403	75.5%	★★★★☆
2022	64.9	770 of 2401	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	58.6	776 of 1955	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	79.8	402 of 2357	82.9%	★★★★☆
2018	82.7	292 of 2338	87.5%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New York percentile	Rating
2025	94.5	75 of 1569	95.2%	★★★★★
2024	84.4	163 of 1531	89.4%	★★★★☆
2022	78.9	213 of 1503	85.8%	★★★★☆
2019	90.7	81 of 1315	93.8%	★★★★★
2018	89.6	79 of 1392	94.3%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New York percentile	Rating
2025	88.2	167 of 2098	92.0%	★★★★★
2024	85.1	196 of 2078	90.6%	★★★★★
2023	68.6	495 of 2041	75.7%	★★★★☆
2022	80.8	252 of 2099	88.0%	★★★★☆
2021	86.7	121 of 1678	92.8%	★★★★★
2019	90.3	137 of 2032	93.3%	★★★★★
2018	85.7	172 of 2045	91.6%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New York percentile	Rating
2025	77.1	459 of 2407	80.9%	★★★★☆
2024	83.4	319 of 2411	86.8%	★★★★☆
2023	82.4	350 of 2400	85.4%	★★★★☆
2022	84.1	290 of 2400	87.9%	★★★★☆
2021	69.9	525 of 1961	73.2%	★★★★☆
2019	83.3	317 of 2358	86.6%	★★★★☆
2018	84.6	245 of 2340	89.5%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New York percentile	Rating
2025	87.1	164 of 2134	92.3%	★★★★★
2024	96.0	53 of 2110	97.5%	★★★★★
2023	78.7	238 of 2016	88.2%	★★★★☆
2022	65.6	435 of 2031	78.6%	★★★★☆
2021	97.5	8 of 1044	99.2%	★★★★★
2019	93.1	65 of 1859	96.5%	★★★★★
2018	85.8	126 of 1941	93.5%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New York percentile	Rating
2025	64.4	493 of 1402	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.3	645 of 1392	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	34.6	919 of 1337	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.9	865 of 1399	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	71.5	370 of 1338	72.3%	★★★★☆
2018	66.8	442 of 1408	68.6%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Hispanic (2025)95th percentile+8 vs school

Special Education (2025)92nd percentile+6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)92nd percentile+5 vs school

Female (2025)91st percentile+4 vs school

African American (2024)85th percentile-3 vs school

Male (2025)81st percentile-6 vs school

White (2025)65th percentile-22 vs school

Asian (2025)47th percentile-40 vs school

By subject vs New York (2024-2025) ?

Math83%+26 vs state

English Language Arts73%+18 vs state

Science64%+19 vs state

5.0

3 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★3

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What people are saying

by a parent
Saturday, January 25, 2020

Great school , staff is very informative to things concerning students. Tons of activities. Have our 3 girls enrolled in this school & we are extremely content. Close Quote

by a citizen
Sunday, April 5, 2015

I am a 1976 graduate of The Castlewood School (PS 186). Wow, almost 40 years ago, I can hardly believe it. I credit this school and its staff for providing me with an exceptional education. This school was as close as you could ever get to a private education in a public setting. I believe that a good part of my success in life, to this day, is rooted in the outstanding basic education I was able to take away from this fine school. I am thrilled that the school has been able to maintain this level of education and compassion for the children of eastern Queens for all of these years. Please keep up the great work! The children that you are educating today will be very grateful adults tomorrow. Thank you! Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, June 12, 2014

Castlewood is an amazing school. The principal, staff, and of course the teachers are all fantastic. The school cares so deeply for each and every student and they really take the time to get to know each child. The curriculum is great, the enrichments are so wonderful, and school trips are so much fun. The teachers truly put in the extra effort at this school which in turn creates some fabulous students who are really well rounded individuals. They teach curriculum but also values and that's important. I couldn't be happier with this school. Close Quote

Schools Near Ps 186 Castlewood

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Immunizations Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				Regents Algebra I (2025)	Regents Life Science Biology (2025)	Regents Earth and Space Sciences (2025)	NY State Assessments English Language Arts (2025)						NY State Assessments Math (2025)						NY State Assessments Science (2025)		% Completely Immunized (2020)	% Polio (2020)	% Measles (2020)	% Mumps (2020)	% Rubella (2020)	% Diphtheria (2020)	% Hepatitis B (2020)	% Varicella (2020)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Regents Algebra I End of Course	Regents Life Science Biology End of Course	Regents Earth and Space Sciences End of Course	NY State Assessments English Language Arts 3rd Grade	NY State Assessments English Language Arts 4th Grade	NY State Assessments English Language Arts 5th Grade	NY State Assessments English Language Arts 6th Grade	NY State Assessments English Language Arts 7th Grade	NY State Assessments English Language Arts 8th Grade	NY State Assessments Math 3rd Grade	NY State Assessments Math 4th Grade	NY State Assessments Math 5th Grade	NY State Assessments Math 6th Grade	NY State Assessments Math 7th Grade	NY State Assessments Math 8th Grade	NY State Assessments Science 5th Grade	NY State Assessments Science 8th Grade	% Completely Immunized All Grades	% Polio All Grades	% Measles All Grades	% Mumps All Grades	% Rubella All Grades	% Diphtheria All Grades	% Hepatitis B All Grades	% Varicella All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Ps 186 Castlewood	Public	PK, KG-5	252-12 72nd Ave	Bellerose	11426	Queens County	New York City Geographic District #26	No	No	No	No	(718) 831-4021	319	48	6.6	48.0%	50 (15.7%)	38 (11.9%)	78 (24.5%)	132 (41.4%)	5 (1.6%)	3 (0.9%)	13 (4.1%)	84.3	324^th of 2445 public elementary schools	86.7%		85.7	299^th of 2445 public elementary schools	87.8%	25				69.0	72.3	78.8				93.3	83.0	74.3				63.6										$59,399	$1,490	$57,909
Ps 224	Public	PK, KG-8	252-12 72nd Ave	Bellerose	11426	Queens County	Nyc Special Schools - District 75	No	No	No	No	(718) 831-4024	414	79	5.2	77.5%	30 (7.2%)	61 (14.7%)	163 (39.4%)	125 (30.2%)	29 (7.0%)	1 (0.2%)	5 (1.2%)								(n/a)																										$121,853	$1,443	$120,410
Ps/Is 266	Public	PK, KG-8	74-10 Commonwealth Blvd	Bellerose	11426	Queens County	New York City Geographic District #26	No	No	No	No	(718) 479-3920	465	66	7.0	58.5%	39 (8.4%)	145 (31.2%)	125 (26.9%)	121 (26.0%)	12 (2.6%)	2 (0.4%)	21 (4.5%)	48.4	1233^rd of 2445 public elementary schools	49.6%		56.4	991^st of 2445 public elementary schools	59.5%	242	96.1	83.9		55.9	67.9	52.6	51.1	81.0	74.2	64.7	53.6	46.2	39.1	95.1		43.2										$38,372	$1,734	$36,638
Ps/Is 208	Public	K-8	74-30 Commonwlth Blvd	Bellerose	11426	Queens County	New York City Geographic District #29	No	No	No	No	(718) 468-6420	605	62	9.7	63.1%	8 (1.3%)	349 (57.7%)	87 (14.4%)	73 (12.1%)	62 (10.2%)	7 (1.2%)	19 (3.1%)	52.4	1147^th of 2445 public elementary schools	53.1%		65	780^th of 2445 public elementary schools	68.1%	367	72.4		60.0	34.4	35.7	70.5	65.8	67.7	57.3	63.3	41.9	43.2	60.8	62.1	58.1	27.3	51.3									$36,148	$1,669	$34,480
James J Ambrose School (The)	Public	PK, KG-5	80-51 261st St	Floral Park	11004	Queens County	New York City Geographic District #26	No	No	No	No	(718) 831-4010	659	52	12.7	50.7%	41 (6.2%)	32 (4.9%)	88 (13.4%)	465 (70.6%)	10 (1.5%)	1 (0.2%)	22 (3.3%)	86.7	264^th of 2445 public elementary schools	89.2%		89.9	203^rd of 2445 public elementary schools	91.7%	61				76.5	79.2	82.7				79.6	77.9	83.8				66.7										$29,018	$1,530	$27,489
Ps 221 North Hills School (The)	Public	PK, KG-5	57-40 Marathon Pkwy	Little Neck	11362	Queens County	New York City Geographic District #26	No	No	No	No	(718) 225-7029	504	37	13.8	42.9%	80 (15.9%)	10 (2.0%)	86 (17.1%)	319 (63.3%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.2%)	88.9	218^th of 2445 public elementary schools	91.1%		90	202^nd of 2445 public elementary schools	91.7%	16				83.3	75.0	86.4				81.0	83.5	80.7				73.8										$33,733	$1,667	$32,067
Ps 133 The Bellerose School Of Excellence	Public	PK, KG-5	248-05 86th Ave	Bellerose	11426	Queens County	New York City Geographic District #26	No	No	No	No	(718) 831-4016	596	48	12.5	63.9%	54 (9.1%)	16 (2.7%)	108 (18.1%)	389 (65.3%)	8 (1.3%)	2 (0.3%)	19 (3.2%)	82.4	365^th of 2445 public elementary schools	85.1%		86.3	286^th of 2445 public elementary schools	88.3%	79				75.3	71.7	74.2				81.3	79.2	74.7				62.6										$28,888	$1,524	$27,364
Ps 191 Mayflower	Public	PK, KG-5	85-15 258th St	Floral Park	11001	Queens County	New York City Geographic District #26	No	No	No	Yes	(718) 831-4032	327	30	10.7	68.5%	18 (5.5%)	5 (1.5%)	73 (22.3%)	216 (66.1%)	6 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.8%)	75.3	541^st of 2445 public elementary schools	77.9%		66.8	734^th of 2445 public elementary schools	70.0%	193				63.9	76.7	65.2				84.2	96.4	62.5				55.3										$34,309	$2,294	$32,015
Early Childhood Center	Public	PK-K	10 Campbell St	New Hyde Park	11040	Nassau County	Great Neck Union Free School District	No	No	No	No	(516) 441-4350	304	16	19.3	15.5%	65 (21.4%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (8.2%)	202 (66.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.9%)								(n/a)																		99.2	99.2	99.2	99.2	99.2	99.2	100.0	99.2	$28,243	$328	$27,915
Ps 213 Carl Ullman School (The)	Public	PK, KG-5	231-02 67th Ave	Bayside	11364	Queens County	New York City Geographic District #26	No	No	No	No	(718) 423-8747	374	32	11.5	66.6%	37 (9.9%)	29 (7.8%)	94 (25.1%)	201 (53.7%)	3 (0.8%)	2 (0.5%)	8 (2.1%)	68.3	728^th of 2445 public elementary schools	70.2%		73.1	573^rd of 2445 public elementary schools	76.6%	155				78.4	57.1	62.5				90.4	69.5	51.9				51.9										$36,256	$1,902	$34,354

Frequently Asked Questions about Ps 186 Castlewood

What district is Ps 186 Castlewood in?

New York City Geographic District #26

What is the racial makeup of Ps 186 Castlewood?

Students at Ps 186 Castlewood are 41% Asian, 24% Hispanic, 16% White, 12% African American, 4% Two or more races, 2% American Indian.

Is Ps 186 Castlewood a good school?

Ps 186 Castlewood ranks 324^th of 2445 New York elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Ps 186 Castlewood?

In the 2024-25 school year, 319 students attended Ps 186 Castlewood.

What schools do graduates of Ps 186 Castlewood attend?

Students who attend Ps 186 Castlewood usually go on to attend:

High : Martin Van Buren High School

Rate Ps 186 Castlewood!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the WNYC and the New York State Department of Health and the NY State Education Department.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.