Best Public Schools in Zip Code 11421

The 11421 zip code area of New York City is home to 3 public elementary schools serving grades PK-5. Among these schools, PS 60 Woodhaven stands out as the highest-performing, consistently ranking in the top half of New York elementary schools and outperforming the New York City Geographic District #27 and state averages on standardized tests. In contrast, the other two schools in the area, PS 97 Forest Park and New York City Academy for Discovery, generally have lower proficiency rates than the district and state.

PS 60 Woodhaven stands out for its consistently high performance, with 63.93% of 3rd graders proficient or better in English Language Arts in the 2024-2025 school year, compared to 56.42% for the district and 54.15% for the state. The school also outperforms the other two in the area on Math proficiency. Despite serving a high-needs student population, with 79.8% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, PS 60 Woodhaven is able to achieve these strong academic outcomes.

In contrast, PS 97 Forest Park and New York City Academy for Discovery face greater challenges, with lower statewide rankings and generally lower proficiency rates in both ELA and Math compared to PS 60 Woodhaven and the district/state averages. This is noteworthy given the relatively high spending per student, ranging from $28,851 to $33,387, and low student-teacher ratios, ranging from 12.2 to 15.4, at these schools. The data suggests that factors beyond just funding and staffing may be at play in determining the academic performance of these schools.