PS 21 MARGARET EMERY-ELM PARK

PS 21 MARGARET EMERY-ELM PARK is a medium-sized K-5 school in STATEN ISLAND, New York, run under NEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT #31. The school educates 380 students in grades pre-K through 5.

PS 21 MARGARET EMERY-ELM PARK is one of 74 schools operated by NEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT #31, a district that enrolls 56,577 students overall.

In terms of who attends, PS 21 MARGARET EMERY-ELM PARK lists that the largest single group is Hispanic, at 67% of enrollment. The remainder reads as 15% Black, 10% White, 5% Asian. That is considerably more Hispanic than the county at large, where the share is closer to 20%.

On the income-and-resources front, The school currently runs with 34 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 11.2:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 12.8:1, putting PS 21 MARGARET EMERY-ELM PARK tighter than the state norm the norm. An estimated 89% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. Set against Richmond County (around 67%), the school's rate is meaningfully above typical.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), PS 21 MARGARET EMERY-ELM PARK sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 42.4%; this one delivers 55.8%.

Across the wider county, Richmond County reports that median household earnings sit near $98,333, 36% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 9%. In all, Richmond County runs 88 public schools (combined enrollment of about 62,254 students), of which PS 21 MARGARET EMERY-ELM PARK is one.

Nearest neighbor: NEW WORLD PREPARATORY CHARTER SCHOOL, around 0.1 miles off. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), PS 21 MARGARET EMERY-ELM PARK ranks 1st on composite proficiency, ahead of the local average of 37.2%.

The school occupies a city-core site.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at PS 21 MARGARET EMERY-ELM PARK has increased 4%, going from 364 students in 2018 to 380 in 2025. Over the same period, the Black share shrank from 27% to 15%.

In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.