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Our Insights

What’s Special

Career focused academies with internships

The Downside

While improving, academic achievement still lags

Richmond Hill is a large, comprehensive high school founded at the turn of the 20th century that prepares students for careers while also offering college preparatory classes.

The school is divided into academies, each of which has classes tailored to a theme and opportunities for internships: software engineering; criminalistics and forensics; health sciences; a certified career and technical education program in hospitality and tourism; art and design; and robotics and engineering. Except for forensics, which 8th graders apply to directly, students enter these programs in 10th grade.

The school offers supports for struggling students and college credit classes for more academically advanced ones. Neil Ganesh, an immigrant from Guyana and former teacher and administrator at Jamaica High School who became principal in 2013, runs a program called Lions Pride to give extra help to lower-perfoming students.

The school has gone through a tumultuous decade. It was threatened with closure because of poor performance in 2011-12, but was saved by a successful lawsuit. In 2014, the city put Richmond Hill on its list of low-peforming Renewal Schools, and in 2015, it landed on a state list of struggling schools that would have to change or face being taken over. The school improved enough to be taken off the state list a year later, and it has met some, though not all, the targets set for it under the Renewal program.

Ganesh gets high marks from teachers on school surveys. The school has high expectations for students; teachers visit one another's classes to share best practices, according to an educator who visited the school for its Quality Review.  

Graduation, college readiness rates and attendance have all improved though still lag somewhat behind the city average. And the difficulties have taken their toll. Enrollment, which once topped 3,600,has fallen to around 1,600. On the upside, this has alleviated the severe overcrowding.

There are many sports teams and an eclectic mix of clubs and activities.South Asian Youth Action (SAYA!) Operates sports programs and other activities at the school.

Special education: The school offers team teaching classes with general and special education students as well as services for students in general education classrooms. Richmond Hill has a large number of students learning English. (Gail Robinson, DOE statistics and news reports, November 2018).

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School Stats

Citywide Average Key
This school is Better Near Worse than the citywide average

Academics

School
Citywide
How many students graduate in 4 years?
 
79%
How many students with disabilities graduate in 4 years?
 
90%
How many English language learners graduate in 4 years?
 
60%
Average daily attendance
 
90%
How many students miss 18 or more days of school?
 
34%
How many parents of students with disabilities say this school offers enough activities and services for their children's needs?
 
75%
How many parents of students with disabilities say this school works to achieve the goals of their students' IEPs?
 
83%
From the 2021-22 School Quality Guide and 2020-21 NYC School Survey

Students

1639
Number of students
Citywide Average is 615

Race/Ethnicity


School
Citywide
Low-income students
 
80%
Students with disabilities
 
17%
Multilingual learners
 
19%
From the 2022-23 Demographic Snapshot

Safety & Vibe

School
Citywide
How many students were suspended?
 
0%
How many students say they feel safe in the hallways, bathrooms and locker rooms?
 
86%
How many students think bullying happens most or all of the time at this school?
 
43%
How many students say that some are bullied at their school because of their gender or sexual orientation?
 
32%
How many teachers say they would recommend this school to other families?
 
85%
From the 2020-21 NYC School Survey and 2019-20 NY State Report Card

Faculty & Staff

School
Citywide
How many teachers say the principal is an effective manager?
 
85%
9.1
Years of principal experience at this school
Citywide Average is 7
176
Number of students for each guidance counselor or social worker
Citywide Average is 157

Teachers’ Race/Ethnicity


How many teachers have 3 or more years of experience teaching?
 
85%
Are teachers effective?
From the 2020-21 NYC School Survey, 2021-22 School Quality Guide, 2019-20 Report on School-Based Staff Demographics, 2021 Guidance Counselor Report, and this school's most recent Quality Review Report

Advanced Courses

Which students have access to advanced courses at this school? Learn more

Calculus

 
0%

Computer Science

 
7%

Physics

 
4%

Advanced Foreign Language

 
2%

AP/IB Arts, English, History or Social Science

 
17%

AP/IB Math or Science

 
5%

Music

Not offered in 2019-20
From unpublished, anonymized data from the 2021-22 school year provided by the New York State Education Department, brought to you by

College Readiness

School
Citywide
How many students graduate with test scores high enough to enroll at CUNY without remedial help?
 
46%
How many students take a college-level course or earn a professional certificate?
 
58%
How many students who have graduated from this high school stay in college for at least 3 semesters?
 
63%
From the 2020-21 and 2021-22 School Quality Guide
How many students filled out a FAFSA form by the end of their senior year?
 
55%
From the 2022-23 FAFSA data released by Federal Student Aid, brought you by
For more information about our data sources, see About Our Data · More DOE statistics for this school

Programs & Admissions

From the 2024 High School Directory

Ninth Grade Career Exploration Academy (Q35B)

Admissions Method: Ed. Opt.

Program Description:

This academy prepares students for various 10th grade career-themed options. Based on students' ninth grade interests, they can choose from the following options: Software Engineering, Hospitality & Tourism, IT, Engineering & Robotics, Health Sciences, Art & Design, and A+ Certification. Participation in these academies leads to internship opportunities and work-based learning opportunities. Partnerships with both SUNY, CUNY, & St. Francis College allow students to earn up to 18 college credits.

Criminalistics and Forensics Institute (CFI) (Q35P)

Admissions Method: Screened

Program Description:

This interdisciplinary program allows students to study the legal and scientific aspects of forensics. Students engage in hands-on lab skills, such as fingerprinting, handwriting, and blood splatter analysis. Students explore how this scientific evidence can be used by the justice system, participating in moot court competitions and mock trial experiences. Many students in the Criminalistics and Forensics Institute go on to study at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and other top schools.

Zoned (Q35Z)

Admissions Method: Zoned Priority

Program Description:

Based on students' ninth grade interests, they can choose from the following options: Software Engineering, Robotics, Hospitality & Tourism, Engineering, Health Sciences, Art & Design, and A+ Certification. Participation in these pathways leads to internship opportunities and work-based learning opportunities. Partnerships with both SUNY and CUNY allow students to earn up to 18 college credits.

Offerings

From the 2024 High School Directory

Language Courses

Spanish

Advanced Courses

Algebra II (Advanced Math), Algebra II (College Course [Credited]), Arts (College Course [Credited]), Calculus (College Course [Credited]), Chemistry (Advanced Science), Comp Sci/Math Tech (College Course [Credited]), Econ/Gov (College Course [Credited]), ELA (College Course [Credited]), Global History (College Course [Credited]), Math (College Course [Credited]), Other (College Course [Credited]), Physics (Advanced Science), Science (College Course [Credited]), Social Studies (College Course [Credited]), US History (College Course [Credited]), World Languages (Advanced World Languages), World Languages (College Course [Credited])

Boys PSAL teams

Baseball, Basketball, Bowling, Handball, Indoor Track, Outdoor Track, Soccer, Swimming, Tennis, Volleyball

Girls PSAL teams

Basketball, Bowling, Indoor Track, Outdoor Track, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Tennis, Volleyball

Coed PSAL teams

Cricket, Golf

Read about admissions, academics, and more at this school on NYCDOE’s MySchools

NYC Department of Education: MySchools

Contact & Location

Location

89-30 114 Street
Queens NY 11418

Trains: J Line to 111th St; Z Line to 121st St

Buses: Q10, Q24, Q37, Q55, Q56, Q8, QM18


Contact

Principal: Tarek Alamarie

Parent Coordinator: Donna Crayton

Website

Other Details

Shared campus? No

This school is in its own building.

Uniforms required? No
Metal detectors? No

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