Irwin Altman Middle School 172

Housed in a building overlooking trees and athletic courts, MS 172 in Floral Park is a neighborhood school with solid test scores, honors classes and an active afterschool program. The school serves many children of South Asian ancestry, and some parents speak Punjabi, Bengali, Hindi and Urdu; others speak Spanish and Chinese, according to the Comprehensive Educational Plan.

The school offers Living Environment and Algebra I accelerated courses and most students at this school earn high school credit. Beyond the usual core academics, MS 172 offers instrumental and vocal music, drama, debate and visual art. Students have the opportunity to compete in arts festivals and debate tournaments.

Principal Jeffrey Slivko took the helm in 2004 after serving as assistant principal at MS 74. While most teachers recommend the school to prospective parents, some grumble about the principal’s leadership, according to the NYC School Survey. Teachers say they would like more voice in the school, according to a two-day evaluation by the Department of Education called the Quality Review.  

One initiative to bolster better relationships between students is the South Asian Youth Action (SAYA), a girls empowerment group that meets twice weekly to help girls explore topics related to self-confidence, respect and peer pressure. Students participated in the Middle School Kindness Challenge. Students engaged in kindness activities that were designed to develop empathy, foster kindness and express concern for others.

Admissions: Zoned neighborhood school. Admission to the gifted and talented program is based on a combination of factors that make up a "composite score" and priority is given to students in the G&T program at PS 115. (Melanie Quiroz, web reports and DOE data, April 2019)