About Us

Since our founding in 2012, Central Queens Academy Charter Schools (CQA) has grown to become one of the highest performing schools in all of New York State. We offer newly immigrated families and English Language Learners (ELL) a school choice that prepares our unique student body for academic and personal success within a nurturing and diverse community.

OUR MISSION

CQA’s mission is to prepare students for success in education, the workforce and the community through schools that integrates literacy, standards-based academics and culturally responsive supportive services.

OUR COMMUNITY

CQA was founded to serve the families in District 24 in Queens, primarily those who live in and around the multiethnic, multicultural, and multilingual communities of Elmhurst, Corona and Woodside. Our scholars and their families hail from over 30 different nations and speak over 20 different languages at home. The majority of our scholars would be the first in their families to attend college.

OUR SCHOOLS

CQA I

CQA I is a K-8 school consisting of an established middle school (opened 2012) and a newly expanded elementary school (opened 2021).

CQAII

CQA II opened in August 2024 with Kindergarten and first grade. We’ll expand by one grade each year thereafter until CQA II reaches full scale in 2032 serving an additional 900 scholars.

WHAT OUR FAMILIES ARE SAYING

CQA is a multicultural, multilingual community of scholars, families, teachers, and staff. We center our scholars’ diverse backgrounds and experiences, and celebrate our community’s diversity every day.

Get an inside look at CQA!

Listen to CQA school leadership talk about our program, our goals and results and our school culture and community.

CQA is authorized by the State University of New York Charter Schools Institute.

Learn more about our people, values, approach and results.

View CQA’s School Performance Dashboard.