Research P.S. 321 William Penn School public Schools in Port Chester, New York

“I was pleasantly surprised that the hype about P.S. 321 seems to be true. My son just finished kindergarten and it's been phenomenal. He had attended a highly regarded private school for nursery and pre-k and I found the education at 321 to be as good or better. The atmosphere is community-oriented and creative. What makes this school great is not only the principal's leadership, wonderful, dedicated teachers who continually educate themselves and the parent body, but the inter-dependent and respectful relationship between all three. Principal Liz Phillips welcomes input and involvement. There are issues with crowding, but at least at the kindergarten level, they are somewhat isolated, having lunch in their classroom rather than the cafeteria, and having their own playground. They seem to manage the crowd very well. I can't say enough good things about it. So far, we love it!”

“The school is overcrowded, and yet works really well. One reason it does, I think, is because the teachers are very dedicated and overall very good. With two children having gone through a total of seven grades, so far, we have only been disappointed with one teacher, and have been thrilled with many. The other reason it works is that a good proportion of the parents are fully invested in the school and the kids' education, expecting a lot from the school and the children. Liz Phillips presides over this seemingly chaotic enterprise with grace and humor. I fear continued growth in the school population will bring it to a breaking point, but so far, so good.”

“This school is too crowded and it takes months to get the attention of a social worker. I also wonder if it's academically rigorous.”

“PS 321 is an excellent school, but its future seems precarious in light of the extraordinary increase in new housing in the district that seems certain to push the limits of the schools' resources should there but a precipitous increase in student enrollment.”

“This is an excellent school, though it is starting to get crowded.”

“This school has a enormous amount of parent involvement, as well as dedicated teachers.”

“The school tries very hard to stress on sense of community. P. S. 321 has a strong principal leadership; Ms. Phillips is extremely hard working. The school is overcrowded because parents moved into the zone to get their children into this great school. The Assistant Principal for Special Education, Ms. Ferrara, is very helpful. The staffs have a very harmonious working relationship. The environment is caring and loving. The teaching quality is excellent with the exception of a few teachers. They were okay but not as great as the others. The PTA is well run and the parents are very involved. The PTA pays for children who otherwise cannot afford some of the activities. Unfortunately, helping hands are hard to find. It is usually the same bunch of parents who work very hard on the school activities. The after school program is a work-in-progress.”

“This is an excellent school, with great teachers. There are an abundance of extra-curricular activities for the children.”

“I love PS 321. My son has learned so much here. The curriculum is almost perfect... I would like they put more sports as a part of it. The teachers are great! Olga Acosta, mother of a kindergarten boy.”