PS 280 HOME OF THE LIONHEARTS

PS 280 HOME OF THE LIONHEARTS operates as a medium-sized elementary-level community in JACKSON HEIGHTS, New York, run under NEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT #30. Current enrollment sits at 447 students spanning grades K through 5.

PS 280 HOME OF THE LIONHEARTS is one of 53 schools operated by NEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT #30, a district that caters to 35,337 students overall.

Looking at the student body, PS 280 HOME OF THE LIONHEARTS records that nearly all students (86%) are Hispanic. Other groups include 6% Asian, 4% Native American, 2% White. By comparison, Queens County as a whole is about 28% Hispanic, so the school skews noticeably more Hispanic than its surroundings.

In terms of school funding signals, The school lists 39 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 11.5:1. The state averages around 12.8:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Around 92% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, often used as a Title I proxy. Set against Queens County (around 77%), the school's rate is noticeably above typical.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, PS 280 HOME OF THE LIONHEARTS sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 41.1%; this one delivers 38.3%.

In the area at large, Queens County reports that median household income runs about $86,136, roughly 36% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 10% of residents live below the federal poverty line. PS 280 HOME OF THE LIONHEARTS is one of 392 public schools in Queens County (combined enrollment of about 268,205 students).

Nearest neighbor: PS 149 CHRISTA MCAULIFFE, around 0.1 miles off. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around PS 280 HOME OF THE LIONHEARTS. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts PS 280 HOME OF THE LIONHEARTS at 5th of 7; the average score across the group is 43.6%.

The school occupies an urban site.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count decreased 35%: 686 students in 2018 compared to 447 in 2025. The student-to-teacher ratio narrowed from 15.2:1 in 2018 to 11.5:1 today.

On the community side, recent activity here tends to focus on science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.