The Benjamin Altman School, also known as PS 42, named after a prominent New York City department store mogul and art collector, is a public elementary school that enrolls students in prekindergarten through fifth grade.
PS 42 is one of the oldest continually operating elementary schools in the city's public education system, with a motto of “Over 100 Years of Collaboration Excellence.” The majestic, Renaissance Revival-style building that houses the school’s 32 classrooms was built in 1899 and has an auditorium, cafeteria, gymnasium and library.
The school follows an expanded Common Core curriculum and by the fifth grade, students have mastered key math and science concepts, reading and writing techniques and the core narratives of history and social studies. True to the school’s motto, classes merge and students collaborate for combined study. For example, a unit on architecture included a class field trip, model building and talks from visiting architects.
Arts partnerships include Midori and Friends, Studio in the School and the Guggenheim Museum. All students learn to play the recorder in early grades, and second graders are taught swimming at the nearby Chinatown YMCA. Extracurricular activities at PS 42 include soccer, violin, dance and chess.
P.S. 42 Benjamin Altman
Public Pre-K, Elementary School
|
Grade Pre-K-5
71 Hester St,
New York, NY
New York City Geographic District No. 2
School Details
Head of School
Principal - Ms. May Lee
Student Teacher Ratio
11:1
Math Proficiency
82%
Reading Proficiency
69%
Niche Grade
A
A+
Source: Niche
Niche Grade Details
Academics
Reading Proficiency
69%
Math Proficiency
82%
Teachers
Student Teacher Ratio
11:1
Teachers
44
Full Time Teachers
44
Teachers in First or Second Year
5.5%
GreatSchools Rating
Source: GreatSchools
GreatSchools Rating Details
Test Scores
Science
9%
State Average
20%
Math
6%
State Average
22%
Student Diversity
Male
52.5%
Female
47.5%
Asian or Pacific Islander
75.9%
White
9.5%
Hispanic
9.1%
Two or more races
2.9%
Black
2.1%
Native American
<1%
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
<1%
Interested in learning more about homes nearby? Reach out to Neal Young, an experienced agent in this school's attendance zone.
Specialty School Programs
Free/Reduced Lunch Offered
This School’s Reviews
Niche Reviews
3/22/2019
It's a decent school,not a lot of diversity. Some teachers were not great at all. It does have a pretty good system.
GreatSchools Reviews
7/17/2024
My son enjoys going to school, the teachers are all wonderful. My son improved his knowledge a lot at this school. I recommend this school :)
3/22/2024
We are very happy with the school. Our son has been there 2 years now and he is always happy to go to school. The teachers and the whole staff are amazing, always friendly and helpful. We are very impressed with how much our son has progressed in various subjects, the teachers are doing an excellent...
9/18/2022
My 2nd and 4th graders are currently students in PS42 and have been at 42 from pre-k. It is a complete relief to leave my kids in a school that I love and trust. The principal and my son’s 4th grade teacher both went to 42. There’s a special sense of comfort and family that I experienced from the fi...
3/21/2020
My son is in the first grade and he made a tremendous improvement. The school staff is very engaged and supportive, but the best one is their principal. She is the most down-to-earth leader I've ever met. We are not moving from the neighborhood mostly because of the opportunity for my son to attend...
Agents Specializing in Attendance Zone
-
Neal Young
Neal Young
Brown Harris Stevens Residential Sales LLC
(551) 292-7697
149 Total Sales
30 in Attendance Zone
$433K - $2.2M Price Range
-
Jacob Goldman
Jacob Goldman
LoHo Realty Inc
(973) 649-9171
125 Total Sales
14 in Attendance Zone
$450K - $1.9M Price Range
-
Tyler Whitman
Tyler Whitman
The Agency Brokerage
(424) 321-7715
90 Total Sales
2 in Attendance Zone
$875K - $895K Price Range
-
Jeremy Bolger
Jeremy Bolger
Brown Harris Stevens Residential Sales LLC
(866) 985-1755
153 Total Sales
29 in Attendance Zone
$433K - $2.2M Price Range
-
Shelley OKeefe
Shelley OKeefe
Corcoran Group
(855) 695-8142
119 Total Sales
7 in Attendance Zone
$1.4M - $3.4M Price Range
-
Nick Gavin
Nick Gavin
Compass
(973) 604-2602
110 Total Sales
6 in Attendance Zone
$1.8M - $8.4M Price Range
Map
Attendance Zone
About Chinatown
List Price Range
$635K - $7.2M
Homes For Sale
10
Average Home Value
$1,084,401
% Renters
92%
Household Income
$73,471
% of College Grads
37.9%
Median Age
43
Average House Size
6,579 Sq Ft
% Commercial Property
95.1%
Homes for Sale
Homes for Rent
-
$3,495 - $5,400 per month
- 55-61 Delancey Street
- 2-3 Beds
- 1 Bath
- 367+ Sq Ft
- 55 Delancey St
- New York, NY
-
-
Additional Schools in the Area
Public Schools shown may be Choice Schools
Choice Schools
Choice schools may not serve this home. Please check the school district website to see all schools serving this home.
- 9th to 12th
- Public
- 9th to 12th
- Public
- K to 12th
- Public
Parks in this Area
Allen Mall One
- Basketball
Hester Street Playground
Columbus Park
Collect Pond Park
- Picnic Area
- Trails
Forsyth Plaza
Sara D. Roosevelt Park
Additional Neighborhoods in this Area
Bowery
Trendy downtown neighborhood with dynamic nightlife
Lower East Side
Buzzy nightlife mixed with a rich creative history
Two Bridges
Historic housing complexes, hand-pulled noodles and condos between iconic bridges
Civic Center
Busy government district with historical architecture and parks
Nolita
NYC neighborhood with a "style, rhythm and culture all its own"
SoHo
Historic, loft-style living with a booming restaurant and shopping scene