PS 196 GRAND CENTRAL PARKWAY

PS 196 GRAND CENTRAL PARKWAY operates as a roomy primary school in FOREST HILLS, New York, one of the schools within NEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT #28. Current enrollment sits at 749 students spanning grades pre-K through 5. That puts it 69% larger than the typical public school in New York, which averages around 443 students.

NEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT #28 comprises 50 schools with combined enrollment of 36,340 students; PS 196 GRAND CENTRAL PARKWAY is among them.

Looking at the student body, PS 196 GRAND CENTRAL PARKWAY shows that the largest single group is Asian at 43%, but no single group is in the majority. The remainder is composed of 29% White, 16% Hispanic, 9% multiracial. By comparison, Queens County as a whole is about 26% Asian, so the school skews meaningfully more Asian than its surroundings.

Looking at the economic backdrop, PS 196 GRAND CENTRAL PARKWAY records 49 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 15.3:1. The state averages around 12.8:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. An estimated 22% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. Set against Queens County (around 77%), the school's rate is noticeably below typical.

After controlling for student poverty, PS 196 GRAND CENTRAL PARKWAY sits in the top 10% of New York schools after the BeatsExpectations adjustment. Predicted proficiency for the school's FRL share is roughly 66.8%; actual is 94.9%, +28.1 points clear of the demographic baseline.

Around the school, census data for Queens County shows the typical household earns roughly $86,136 per year, 36% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 10% of residents live below the federal poverty line. PS 196 GRAND CENTRAL PARKWAY is one of 392 public schools in Queens County (combined enrollment of about 268,205 students).

The closest other public school is ACADEMY FOR EXCELLENCE THROUGH THE ARTS (THE), roughly 0.4 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts PS 196 GRAND CENTRAL PARKWAY at 1st of 9; the average score across the group is 71.2%.

PS 196 GRAND CENTRAL PARKWAY operates from a city-core location.

Trend over the last 7 years. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at PS 196 GRAND CENTRAL PARKWAY has ticked down 25%, going from 996 students in 2018 to 749 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 42% to 29% across the same window. The student-to-teacher ratio narrowed from 17.2:1 in 2018 to 15.3:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, the feed for PS 196 GRAND CENTRAL PARKWAY typically covers fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.