P.S. 128 The Lorraine Tuzzo, Juniper Valley Elementary School

PS 128 The Lorraine Tuzzo, Juniper Valley Elementary School in Middle Village puts a premium on high academic achievement.

Although the school’s building is relatively new, it has been over capacity almost since Day 1, with the 1st and 2nd grades in an annex across the street. That situation, however, should improve dramatically in fall 2020, when a new addition to the main building is set to open. The $3.18 million addition will have 18 classrooms with space for 440 students as well as other facilities, reports the Queens Chronicle. 

The overcrowding at the school could be seen as a sign of its success. Test scores are high, attendance is good and 8th graders can take some Regents exams to earn high school credit.

On an NYC school survey, principal Camillo Turriciano gets high marks from teachers, and parents praise him and his faculty for keeping them informed and welcoming them into the classroom. Some middle school students have grumbled that they don’t get enough help applying to high school, and PS 128’s Comprehensive Education Plan is working to address this. 

SPECIAL EDUCATION: PS 128 offers an array of special education settings, including team teaching classes with a mix of special education and general education students and self-contained classes.

ADMISSIONS: PS 128 only accepts elementary and middle school students from its zone. Although priority for middle school admission goes to continuing 5th grade students, there are some middle school slots for children in the zone who attended other elementary schools. (Gail Robinson, DOE data and news reports, January 2018)