Long Island City Population Growth and Demand for School Seats
Since school year 2022-2023, the number of kindergarten applicants living in the current P.S./I.S. 78 zone has increased by 70% from 232 to 394 students. Analysis of NYCPS public application data from the 2025-2026 school year shows that existing school seats at P.S./I.S. 78, P.S. 384 Hunters Point and even the new P.S. 439 ACE Court Square are over-demand, leaving hundreds of students on waitlists year after year.
| P.S. / I.S. 78 | P.S. 384 Hunters Point | P.S. 439 ACE Court Square |
| (100) Kindergarten seats available | (162) Kindergarten seats available | (60) Kindergarten seats available |
| (367) total applicants | (347) total applicants | (170) total applicants |
| 367% over demand total | 214% over demand total | 283% over demand total |
Existing Zoning Map
On September 29th, NYCPS Office of District Planning (ODP) in partnership with Community Education Council for District 30 (CEC30) held a Virtual Community Conversation with over a hundred parents and community members to discuss potential changes to elementary school zone lines in NYC.
Proposed changes would primarily impact incoming 3-K, Pre-K, and Kindergarten students as well as new students to the system beginning as early as the 2027-2028 school year. Students currently enrolled at an impacted school will not be affected, and future students will retain their zoned sibling priority if they have an older sibling attending that school the same year, pending CEC approval.
In order to draw new zones, NYCPS determines the appropriate number of students that should live in each zone, the “Target Zone Size” based on available capacity and historic demand and trends. They also project future students residing in both existing housing and upcoming residential construction. NYCPS draws new zones that are projected to contain the target zone size for each school, promote diversity and integration across schools while considering geographic barriers and travel distance.
ODP and the Superintendent have collaborated closely with CEC 30 and the community since Spring 2026 to incorporate feedback into the rezoning map. Later in this fall ODP will present a final proposal that CEC will vote on withing 45 days of it’s submission. Continue to send feedback to Queenszoning@schools.nyc.gov and to our office at District26@council.nyc.gov.