JHS 217 ROBERT A VAN WYCK

Located at 85-05 144TH ST, in JAMAICA, New York, JHS 217 ROBERT A VAN WYCK is a roomy middle-grades school that educates 1,265 students (grades 6 through 8), overseen by NEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT #28. Compared to the state average of about 531 students per school, that is 138% larger than typical.

Across the 50 schools in NEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT #28 (36,340 students total), JHS 217 ROBERT A VAN WYCK accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Demographically, JHS 217 ROBERT A VAN WYCK reports that the largest single group is Hispanic at 53%, but no single group is in the majority. The remainder breaks down as 25% Asian, 13% Black, 4% White, 3% Native American. By comparison, Queens County as a whole is about 28% Hispanic, so the school skews noticeably more Hispanic than its surroundings.

On the resource side, Staff filings list 91 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 13.8:1 students per teacher. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 10.3:1, putting JHS 217 ROBERT A VAN WYCK higher than the state norm the norm. Around 88% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. That share is noticeably above Queens County's rate of about 77%.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, JHS 217 ROBERT A VAN WYCK performs roughly as the BeatsExpectations model predicts for a school with this FRL share. The predicted value is around 42.6%, the actual is 44.0%, a residual of +1.4 points.

In the broader community, the surrounding county (Queens County) records that median household earnings sit near $86,136, roughly 36% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 10%. In all, Queens County runs 392 public schools (combined enrollment of about 268,205 students), of which JHS 217 ROBERT A VAN WYCK is one.

Nearest neighbor: PS 117 J KELD/BRIARWOOD SCHOOL, around 0.1 miles off. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts JHS 217 ROBERT A VAN WYCK at 7th of 9; the average score across the group is 49.8%.

The campus sits in an inner-city setting.

Looking at the recent track record. JHS 217 ROBERT A VAN WYCK's enrollment has declined 22% since 2018, when it stood at 1,628 (now 1,265). Hispanic enrollment moved from 40% to 53% across the same window. Class-load math has pulled in: from 18.1:1 in 2018 to 13.8:1 in 2025.

Within the allk12 community for this school, members of the JHS 217 ROBERT A VAN WYCK community share and discuss sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.