P.S. 045 Clarence Witherspoon
Grades PK-5 · 126-28 150 STREET · Queens
Samantha Severin, Principal · 718-480-2500
schools.nyc.govAbout
P.S. 045 Clarence Witherspoon is an elementary school in South Ozone Park, Queens, serving students from Pre-K through 5th grade. The school maintains a notably low suspension rate and offers small class sizes, contributing to a supportive learning environment. Official parent surveys indicate exceptionally high satisfaction with the school's safety, learning environment, and staff relationships. However, academic proficiency in both ELA and Math is a significant concern, with scores well below citywide averages. While some parents commend the principal and staff for fostering engaging activities like dance and art shows, others express concerns about bullying and school leadership. The school has recently completed roof renovations, allowing full use of playground spaces, and has been recognized for its community partnership in a food pantry program. It also focuses on social-emotional development and has increased its English as a New Language (ENL) staff to support its diverse student population.
Sources (8)
- P.S. 045 Clarence Witherspoon Official Data · 2023-2024
- P.S. 45 Clarence Witherspoon in South Ozone Park, NY - Homes.com · 2023
- P.S. 45 - Clarence Witherspoon in Queens, NY - Niche · 2024-2025
- P.S. 45 Clarence Witherspoon in Queens, NY | realtor.com® · 2013-2014
- P.S. 45 Clarence Witherspoon - 126-28 150TH ST, Queens, NY | Trulia · 2013-2014
- P.s. 45 Clarence Witherspoon (Ranked Bottom 50% for 2026) - Jamaica, NY - Public School Review · 2026
- Ps 45 Clarence Witherspoon | South-Ozone-Park, NY (For STEM) - Moonpreneur · N/A
- homes.com
Academics
Coursework, class size, and academic context.
Attendance rate
97%
Avg class size (general ed)
17
Avg class size (ICT)
17.4
Average class size by classroom setting: general education vs. ICT (Integrated Co-Teaching, where general- and special-education students learn together with two teachers). NYC DOE Class Size Report, 2021–22.
Community & climate
Demographics, attendance, school survey results, and DOE quality ratings.
Quality signals
Parent survey · overall positive
85%86% response rate
Survey topics
Family outreach92%city 94%
- School staff regularly communicate with me about how I can help my child learn.92%
- Teachers work closely with me to meet my child's needs.84%
- My child's school communicates with me in a language that I can understand.96%
- I am greeted warmly when I contact or visit the school.99%
- My child's school will make me aware if there are any concerns about my child’s social or emotional well-being.91%
Each question’s favorable response rate; the topic score (92%) is their average, vs 94% citywide.
Parent–teacher trust96%city 95%
- I feel respected by my child's teachers.99%
- Staff at this school work hard to build trusting relationships with parents/guardians like me.93%
- My child's teachers treat me as a partner in educating my child.97%
Each question’s favorable response rate; the topic score (96%) is their average, vs 95% citywide.
Show all survey topicsShow fewer
Effective School Leadership
Inclusive Leadership95%city 95%
- The principal/school leader at this school…puts decisions made with families into action.95%
- The principal/school leader at this school…works to create a sense of community in the school.95%
- The principal/school leader at this school…ensures families are comfortable communicating with the school.95%
Each question’s favorable response rate; the topic score (95%) is their average, vs 95% citywide.
Strong Family-Community Ties
Building Families' Capacity as their Child's Primary Teacher93%city 96%
- My child’s teachers give me helpful ideas about how I can support my child’s learning and development. [Birth-5].86%
- My child’s teachers let me know that I can make a difference in my child’s learning. [Birth-5].100%
Each question’s favorable response rate; the topic score (93%) is their average, vs 96% citywide.
Parent Involvement in School77%city 71%
- Since the beginning of the school year, how often have you…communicated with your child's teachers about your child's performance?.92%
- Since the beginning of the school year, how often have you…seen your child’s projects, artwork, homework, tests, or quizzes?.99%
- My child’s teachers let me know that I can make a difference in my child’s learning. [Birth-5].100%
- I know how to contact the Parent Coordinator at my child’s school.17%
Each question’s favorable response rate; the topic score (77%) is their average, vs 71% citywide.
Strong Relationships67%city 90%
- At this school, my child receives what they need to achieve their Individualized Education Plan (IEP) goal(s). [Families of students with IEPs].67%
Each question’s favorable response rate; the topic score (67%) is their average, vs 90% citywide.
Trust
Parent-Principal Trust91%city 94%
- I feel respected by my child's principal/school leader.96%
- I trust the principal/school leader at their word (to do what they say that they will do).89%
- The principal/school leader is an effective manager who makes the school run smoothly.89%
Each question’s favorable response rate; the topic score (91%) is their average, vs 94% citywide.
Overall positive % is averaged across every Pos/Neg survey question per respondent group (school year 2023-2024). Survey topics are the DOE’s framework measures (each the average favorable response across its questions; expand a topic to see them and the citywide average); the dimension scores themselves are no longer in the public data file.[3]
Operational health
Attendance
97%
Chronic absenteeism
60%
Suspension rate
0%
Teachers[7]
Teachers with 4+ years' experience
62%
Students per teacher
12:1
Teaching out of certification
3%
Teacher experience and certification from the NYSED School Report Card (2024–25); students per teacher = enrollment ÷ reported teachers. Fewer than 4 years counts as inexperienced.
Student body
Race / ethnicity[4]
- Asian 5%
- Black 33%
- Hispanic 54%
- Multiracial 1%
School-level totals; may not sum to 100% due to rounding and small subgroup suppression.
Gender[4]
- Female 49%
- Male 51%
Female / male shares as published by the DOE; other gender identities aren’t reported in the source data.
Enrollment
397
Economic Need Index
87%
Free / reduced lunch
90%
English learners
52%
Students with IEPs
16%
Admissions
2 programs. Each has its own admissions method, and each track within a program has its own seats, demand, and priority order.
3-K - School Day
Program code 27Q0453K · Cycle 2024-2025
21 applicants · 45 seats last year; every priority group with applicants received offers.
| priority group | Seats | Applicants | Apps / seat |
|---|---|---|---|
| General education | 45 | 21 | — |
↳ Students who live in the zone and have a sibling at the school. | — | — | — |
↳ Other students who live in the zone. | — | — | — |
↳ Students who live in the district and have a sibling at the school. | — | — | — |
↳ Students who live outside the district and have a sibling at the school. | — | — | — |
↳ Other students who live in the district. | 10 | 10 | 1.00 |
↳ All other applicants. | — | — | — |
Last year’s published figures. Schools make more offers than seats because not everyone enrolls, so offers can exceed seats. Counts under 10 are suppressed (shown as “<10”).
Pre-K - School Day
Program code 27Q045PK · Cycle 2024-2025
17 applicants · 36 seats last year; every priority group with applicants received offers.
| priority group | Seats | Applicants | Apps / seat |
|---|---|---|---|
| General education | 36 | 17 | — |
↳ Current students. | 10 | 10 | 1.00 |
↳ Students who live in the zone and have a sibling at the school. | — | — | — |
↳ Other students who live in the zone. | — | — | — |
↳ Students who live in the district and have a sibling at the school. | — | — | — |
↳ Students who live outside the district and have a sibling at the school. | — | — | — |
↳ Other students who live in the district. | — | — | — |
↳ All other applicants. | — | — | — |
Last year’s published figures. Schools make more offers than seats because not everyone enrolls, so offers can exceed seats. Counts under 10 are suppressed (shown as “<10”).
How to read Apps / seat and where the outlook buckets come from is explained in our methodology.
Location & commute
Where the school is and how to get there.