PS 197 OCEAN SCHOOL (THE)

825 HICKSVILLE RD
FAR ROCKAWAY, NY 11691

407 Students

Elementary School Pre-K - 5th

School Overview

P.S. 197, also known as The Ocean School, is a public elementary school serving students in the Far Rockaway section of Queens, New York. Located on Hicksville Road, the school functions as a core neighborhood institution dedicated to providing foundational education for children in the surrounding community. As part of the New York City Department of Education, it follows the city’s standard curriculum while striving to foster a supportive learning environment tailored to the needs of its diverse student population.

The school is often recognized for its emphasis on community engagement and its efforts to create a stable, nurturing atmosphere for its students. Like many schools in the Rockaway peninsula, P.S. 197 focuses on balancing academic rigor with social-emotional development, aiming to prepare students for middle school transitions. Parents and guardians looking for specific information regarding current academic performance, extracurricular offerings, or enrollment details are encouraged to consult the official NYC Department of Education "School Search" website or contact the school’s main office directly.

407

Total Students

30.4

Full-Time Teachers

13.4

Student/Teacher Ratio

93.9%

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for PS 197 OCEAN SCHOOL (THE)
Demographic	Student Count
White	9
Hispanic	210
Black	173
Asian	3
American Indian	11
Pacific Islander	1

Hispanic
210 (51.6 %)
Black
173 (42.5 %)
American Indian
11 (2.7 %)
White
9 (2.2 %)
Asian
3 (0.7 %)
Pacific Islander
1 (0.2 %)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	Elementary School
School Type:	Regular School
Charter Status:*	Public Non-Charter
Virtual Instruction:	No virtual instruction
Shared Time Status:	No
District:	NEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT #27
Phone:	(718)327-1083
Grade Range:	Pre-K - 5th
Total Students:	407
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	30.4
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	13.4
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes under Community Eligibility Option (CEO)
Qualified Free Lunch:	376
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	6

* Charter Schools: A public charter school is a publicly funded school that operates independently under a legislative contract (or "charter") with a state, school district, or designated authorizing entity. Charters grant these schools greater operational flexibility over curriculum, staffing, and budgeting in exchange for strict accountability to achieve performance standards established in their charter agreement.

¹ National School Lunch Program (NSLP): The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to eligible children each school day based on household income thresholds or community eligibility options (CEO).

Title I Program Overview: Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) allocates federal financial assistance to local educational agencies and public schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

Grades Taught

Pre-Kindergarten 72

Kindergarten 47

Grade 1 58

Grade 2 62

Grade 3 47

Grade 4 62

Grade 5 58

Ungraded 1