Is Ps 186 Castlewood a good school?

Ps 186 Castlewood ranks 299 th of 2445 New York elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Ps 186 Castlewood?

In the 2022-23 school year, 333 students attended Ps 186 Castlewood.

What is the racial makeup of Ps 186 Castlewood?

Students at Ps 186 Castlewood are 41% Asian, 24% White, 20% Hispanic, 11% African American, 2% American Indian, 2% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Ps 186 Castlewood attend?

Students who attend Ps 186 Castlewood usually go on to attend: High : Martin Van Buren High School

Ps 186 Castlewood

Summary:

PS 186 Castlewood is an elementary school located in Bellerose, New York, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 333 students. The school is part of the New York City Geographic District #26, which is ranked 182 out of 865 districts in New York and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

PS 186 Castlewood consistently performs well on state assessments, with a significant percentage of students proficient or better in English Language Arts (ELA) and Math across grades 3-5. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school's ELA proficiency rates ranged from 59.57% (3rd grade) to 71.05% (4th grade), outperforming the New York City District #26 and statewide averages. Similarly, the school's Math proficiency rates ranged from 71.43% (3rd grade) to 82.05% (4th grade), again exceeding the district and state averages. The school also ranks highly for African American and Hispanic students, as well as for students with special needs and those from low socioeconomic backgrounds.

When compared to other nearby elementary schools within the same district, such as James J. Ambrose School and PS 221 North Hills School, PS 186 Castlewood generally outperforms its peers on state assessments, particularly in Math. The school's high per-student spending of $40,325 and low student-teacher ratio of around 6.1 students per teacher in the 2022-2023 school year likely contribute to its strong academic outcomes and comprehensive educational programs.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

252-12 72nd Ave
Bellerose, NY 11426-2799

(718) 831-4021

District: New York City Geographic District #26

SchoolDigger Rank:
299^th of 2,445 New York Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $40,325

Students who attend Ps 186 Castlewood usually attend:

High:

Martin Van Buren High School

Student/teacher ratio: 6.1

Number of students: 333

Racial breakdown:

Asian:

41.4%

White:

24.3%

Hispanic:

19.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 38.1%

See top rated New York elementary schools

Compare Ps 186 Castlewood to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Ps 186 Castlewood ranks better than 87.8% of elementary schools in New York. It also ranks 13^th among 22 ranked elementary schools in the New York City Geographic District #26. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 85.68. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Ps 186 Castlewood is diverse. Racial makeup is: Asian (41.4%), White (24.3%), Hispanic (19.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 38.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Ps 186 Castlewood is 6.1, which is the lowest among 23 elementary schools in the New York City Geographic District #26! (See more...)

Compare Ps 186 Castlewood employs 54 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Ps 186 Castlewood is $40,325, which is the highest among 23 elementary schools in the New York City Geographic District #26!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Ps 186 Castlewood:

SchoolDigger ranks Ps 186 Castlewood 299^th of 2445 New York public elementary schools. (See Ps 186 Castlewood in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Asian students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

New York City Geographic District #26:

SchoolDigger ranks New York City Geographic District #26 182^nd of 865 New York school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Ps 186 Castlewood

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Rank History for all students at Ps 186 Castlewood

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2006	78.12	396^th	2206	82.0%
2007	82.15	246^th	2219	88.9%
2008	84.07	137^th	2227	93.8%
2009	80.00	277^th	2257	87.7%
2010	76.31	480^th	2263	78.8%
2011	86.92	165^th	2286	92.8%
2012	84.62	230^th	2320	90.1%
2013	86.92	217^th	2325	90.7%
2014	91.18	120^th	2345	94.9%
2015	89.23	163^rd	2352	93.1%
2016	89.03	156^th	2366	93.4%
2017	87.55	209^th	2386	91.2%
2018	85.11	266^th	2395	88.9%
2019	82.88	364^th	2413	84.9%
2021	68.92	629^th	2201	71.4%
2022	77.11	490^th	2434	79.9%
2023	79.15	458^th	2439	81.2%
2024	85.68	299^th	2445	87.8%

See the entire list of New York Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Ps 186 Castlewood

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	85.78	126^th	1941	93.5%
2019	93.06	65^th	1859	96.5%
2021	97.45	8^th	1044	99.2%
2022	65.57	435^th	2031	78.6%
2023	78.72	238^th	2016	88.2%
2024	95.99	53^rd	2110	97.5%

See the entire list of Best New York Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Ps 186 Castlewood

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	85.72	172^nd	2045	91.6%
2019	90.30	137^th	2032	93.3%
2021	86.66	121^st	1678	92.8%
2022	80.81	252^nd	2099	88.0%
2023	68.65	495^th	2041	75.7%
2024	85.08	196^th	2078	90.6%

See the entire list of Best New York Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Ps 186 Castlewood

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	82.75	292^nd	2338	87.5%
2019	79.82	402^nd	2357	82.9%
2021	58.58	776^th	1955	60.3%
2022	64.88	770^th	2401	67.9%
2023	72.56	588^th	2403	75.5%
2024	83.50	319^th	2413	86.8%

See the entire list of Best New York Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Ps 186 Castlewood

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	84.61	245^th	2340	89.5%
2019	83.33	317^th	2358	86.6%
2021	69.89	525^th	1961	73.2%
2022	84.05	290^th	2400	87.9%
2023	82.39	350^th	2400	85.4%
2024	83.40	319^th	2411	86.8%

See the entire list of Best New York Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Ps 186 Castlewood

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	65.55	213^th	601	64.6%
2019	53.72	299^th	548	45.4%
2021	42.55	296^th	430	31.2%
2022	73.59	158^th	671	76.5%
2023	66.65	211^th	605	65.1%
2024	67.49	218^th	662	67.1%

See the entire list of Best New York Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Ps 186 Castlewood

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	92.18	48^th	948	94.9%
2019	84.45	104^th	891	88.3%
2024	78.29	137^th	927	85.2%

See the entire list of Best New York Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Ps 186 Castlewood

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	89.58	79^th	1392	94.3%
2019	90.66	81^st	1315	93.8%
2022	78.85	213^th	1503	85.8%
2024	84.36	163^rd	1531	89.4%

See the entire list of Best New York Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Ps 186 Castlewood

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	66.77	442^nd	1408	68.6%
2019	71.50	370^th	1338	72.3%
2022	40.85	865^th	1399	38.2%
2023	34.63	919^th	1337	31.3%
2024	53.27	645^th	1392	53.7%

See the entire list of Best New York Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: NY State Education Department, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: NY State Education Department

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Saturday, January 25, 2020

Great school , staff is very informative to things concerning students. Tons of activities. Have our 3 girls enrolled in this school & we are extremely content. Close Quote

by a citizen
Sunday, April 5, 2015

I am a 1976 graduate of The Castlewood School (PS 186). Wow, almost 40 years ago, I can hardly believe it. I credit this school and its staff for providing me with an exceptional education. This school was as close as you could ever get to a private education in a public setting. I believe that a good part of my success in life, to this day, is rooted in the outstanding basic education I was able to take away from this fine school. I am thrilled that the school has been able to maintain this level of education and compassion for the children of eastern Queens for all of these years. Please keep up the great work! The children that you are educating today will be very grateful adults tomorrow. Thank you! Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, June 12, 2014

Castlewood is an amazing school. The principal, staff, and of course the teachers are all fantastic. The school cares so deeply for each and every student and they really take the time to get to know each child. The curriculum is great, the enrichments are so wonderful, and school trips are so much fun. The teachers truly put in the extra effort at this school which in turn creates some fabulous students who are really well rounded individuals. They teach curriculum but also values and that's important. I couldn't be happier with this school. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Ps 186 Castlewood

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1989	216	57	82	32	0	n/a	n/a	387
1990	207	55	80	23	1	n/a	n/a	366
1991	208	44	76	29	0	n/a	n/a	357
1992	189	51	56	24	0	n/a	n/a	320
1993	172	64	61	23	0	n/a	n/a	320
1994	183	63	77	22	0	n/a	n/a	345
1995	185	74	105	27	2	n/a	n/a	393
1996	185	74	105	27	2	n/a	n/a	393
1997	187	71	125	33	1	n/a	n/a	417
1998	184	77	132	38	1	n/a	n/a	432
1999	178	92	185	41	2	n/a	n/a	498
2000	157	94	181	39	1	n/a	n/a	472
2001	138	83	176	35	1	n/a	n/a	433
2002	105	73	161	54	3	n/a	n/a	396
2003	105	73	161	54	3	n/a	n/a	396
2004	81	78	131	63	3	n/a	n/a	356
2005	85	64	137	63	3	n/a	n/a	352
2006	82	55	129	69	2	n/a	n/a	337
2007	93	50	130	57	0	n/a	n/a	330
2008	89	40	114	59	2	n/a	n/a	304
2009	93	30	117	64	2	n/a	n/a	306
2010	101	32	139	72	1	n/a	n/a	345
2011	126	38	126	77	0	0	0	367
2012	124	46	117	82	0	0	0	369
2013	130	48	125	74	0	0	1	378
2014	126	45	115	75	1	0	3	365
2015	121	51	137	78	2	0	5	394
2016	111	51	131	81	5	0	7	386
2017	127	41	123	81	7	2	8	389
2018	112	50	130	75	9	2	6	384
2019	112	48	131	67	7	3	6	374
2020	103	44	135	75	7	3	5	372
2021	100	39	148	71	9	3	5	375
2022	98	33	152	72	7	2	7	371
2023	81	35	138	65	6	2	6	333

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Ps 186 Castlewood

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	387	20.1	19.2	n/a
1990	366	19.1	19.1	n/a
1991	357	18.1	19.7	n/a
1992	320	13.1	24.4	n/a
1993	320	13.1	24.4	n/a
1994	345	15.4	22.4	n/a
1995	393	18.4	21.4	n/a
1996	393	18.4	21.4	n/a
1997	417	19.4	21.5	22.3
1998	432	22.2	19.5	19
1999	498	22.6	22.0	19.3
2000	472	24.6	19.2	29.2
2001	433	24.2	17.9	25.4
2002	396	n/a	n/a	n/a
2003	396	n/a	n/a	n/a
2004	356	n/a	n/a	n/a
2005	352	n/a	n/a	0
2006	337	20.0	16.9	36.5
2007	330	31.5	10.5	32.4
2008	304	37.0	8.2	28.9
2009	306	43.0	7.1	0
2010	345	50.0	6.9	n/a
2011	367	60.0	6.1	24.5
2012	369	60.5	6.0	31.7
2013	378	56.7	6.6	33.1
2014	365	57.6	6.3	32.9
2015	394	64.0	6.1	34.3
2016	386	59.0	6.5	30.3
2017	389	56.4	6.8	33.7
2018	384	64.0	5.9	34.6
2019	374	63.0	5.9	34.5
2020	372	57.0	6.5	37.1
2021	375	54.0	6.9	33.6
2022	371	56.8	6.5	37.5
2023	333	54.0	6.1	38.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Ps 186 Castlewood

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	387	20.1	19.2	n/a
1990	366	19.1	19.1	n/a
1991	357	18.1	19.7	n/a
1992	320	13.1	24.4	n/a
1993	320	13.1	24.4	n/a
1994	345	15.4	22.4	n/a
1995	393	18.4	21.4	n/a
1996	393	18.4	21.4	n/a
1997	417	19.4	21.5	22.3
1998	432	22.2	19.5	19
1999	498	22.6	22.0	19.3
2000	472	24.6	19.2	29.2
2001	433	24.2	17.9	25.4
2002	396	n/a	n/a	n/a
2003	396	n/a	n/a	n/a
2004	356	n/a	n/a	n/a
2005	352	n/a	n/a	0
2006	337	20.0	16.9	36.5
2007	330	31.5	10.5	32.4
2008	304	37.0	8.2	28.9
2009	306	43.0	7.1	0
2010	345	50.0	6.9	n/a
2011	367	60.0	6.1	24.5
2012	369	60.5	6.0	31.7
2013	378	56.7	6.6	33.1
2014	365	57.6	6.3	32.9
2015	394	64.0	6.1	34.3
2016	386	59.0	6.5	30.3
2017	389	56.4	6.8	33.7
2018	384	64.0	5.9	34.6
2019	374	63.0	5.9	34.5
2020	372	57.0	6.5	37.1
2021	375	54.0	6.9	33.6
2022	371	56.8	6.5	37.5
2023	333	54.0	6.1	38.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

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