Original Research by School Decision on Growing up Green Charter School
Growing Up Green Charter School is a charter network in Queens serving kindergarten through eighth grade across multiple locations, including Long Island City and Jamaica. The enrollment spans all grade bands evenly, with a school population that reflects the broader diversity of Queens. The student body is roughly split between Hispanic students and students of other backgrounds; a substantial portion are students of color, and smaller groups include Asian, White, Black, and multiracial students. Data on free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility and enrollment in special education or English-language learner services were not available, so a parent would want to contact the school directly to understand the composition of support services.
The school operates within a notably complex administrative landscape. In July of 2022, the original Growing Up Green Charter School merged with Growing Up Green Charter School II, consolidating under the name Growing Up Green Charter Schools as a four-school network. That consolidation brought changes to governance structure and expanded authorized enrollment. More recently, in December 2025, the school's leadership decertified its teachers' union, ending its relationship with the United Federation of Teachers after years of contentious contract negotiations. The decertification followed periods of significant teacher attrition and disputes over compensation and evaluation practices. The United Federation of Teachers has pursued legal action regarding how the decertification was conducted. For families considering the school, this signals ongoing administrative upheaval and raises legitimate questions about teacher retention and workplace stability going forward.
State testing data and graduation rates were not available in the records reviewed, which reflects the school's grade band; eighth grade is the endpoint of the school's service, so a traditional four-year graduation rate does not apply. Academic performance information would need to come directly from the school or through state records specific to elementary and middle grade assessments.
The school's chronic absenteeism rate sits in the bottom quartile among Queens County's districts, which is a soft spot worth exploring further with the school. Understanding what contributes to this pattern, what the school is doing to address it, and what the school's own data shows about attendance trends would help a parent assess whether this reflects transportation barriers, engagement challenges, or other factors that might affect their own child's experience.
Per-pupil spending at the school sits in the middle range, lower half, among Queens County districts, suggesting a resource level comparable to many other schools in the county but notably below the higher-spending end.
A parent or resident considering this school should have a substantive conversation with leadership about the current state of teaching staff, the union situation and its legal implications, and the school's priorities for stability and retention. The merger consolidation is now several years in, so the school should be able to articulate clearly how the network structure serves families and what continuity or changes families can expect.
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