PS 280 HOME OF THE LIONHEARTS

473 Students

Elementary School K - 5th

School Overview

PS 280, officially known as the **The Michael J. Petrides School (PS 280)**, is a public elementary school located in the heart of Jackson Heights, Queens. Serving students from Pre-K through 5th grade, the school is situated in a vibrant, high-density neighborhood known for its immense cultural and linguistic diversity. The school is part of the New York City Department of Education’s District 30, which is one of the most diverse districts in the city.

The school is widely recognized for its commitment to inclusive education and its focus on supporting a multi-lingual student body. PS 280 places a strong emphasis on fostering a welcoming community environment where students from various backgrounds can thrive academically and socially. Because of its location in Jackson Heights, the school curriculum and extracurricular programs often integrate global perspectives and enrichment activities that reflect the unique character of the surrounding community.

473

Total Students

37.0

Full-Time Teachers

12.8

Student/Teacher Ratio

87.1%

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for PS 280 HOME OF THE LIONHEARTS
Demographic	Student Count
White	8
Hispanic	424
Black	2
Asian	32
American Indian	6
Pacific Islander	1

Hispanic
424 (89.6 %)
Asian
32 (6.8 %)
White
8 (1.7 %)
American Indian
6 (1.3 %)
Black
2 (0.4 %)
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 #30
Phone:	(718)424-9031
Grade Range:	K - 5th
Total Students:	473
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	37.0
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	12.8
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes under Community Eligibility Option (CEO)
Qualified Free Lunch:	392
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	20

* 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

Kindergarten 56

Grade 1 92

Grade 2 72

Grade 3 70

Grade 4 86

Grade 5 97