The Kathleen Grimm School for Leadership and Sustainability

The Kathleen Grimm School for Leadership and Sustainability, located in Staten Island, is an elementary school serving students from Pre-Kindergarten through fifth grade. It is notably the first net-zero energy school in New York City and one of the first worldwide, designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM). The building itself serves as a learning tool, featuring photovoltaic panels, a geo-exchange system, a greenhouse, and interactive dashboards that teach students about energy use and sustainability. Academically, the school demonstrates significant strengths, with ELA proficiency at 81% and Math proficiency at 85%, both well above the citywide median and near or above the 75th percentile. Parents and teachers express overwhelmingly positive sentiment, with parent survey results showing high satisfaction across various measures. Teachers report high confidence in the principal's effectiveness and readily recommend the school to other families. The school is recognized for its strong academic performance, ranking among the top 20% of public schools in New York for overall, math, and reading/language arts proficiency.