Enrollment
329
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Jamaica, NY
Catherine & Count Basie Middle School 72
Federal NCES profile for Catherine & Count Basie Middle School 72, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 360010002297
👥 S:T ratio 58
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Catherine & Count Basie Middle School 72 earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New York median.
- #3 of 6
- middle schools in Jamaica · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 10.6:1
- students per teacher
- 81.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Catherine & Count Basie Middle School 72 has class sizes near the New York median. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Catherine & Count Basie Middle School 72 ranks #3 of 6 middle schools in Jamaica, NY.
School address
District: New York City Geographic District #28 · New York
NCES ID 360010002297 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.6:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
81.5%
vs 56.2% New York avg
+45% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Catherine & Count Basie Middle School 72 compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at Catherine & Count Basie Middle School 72
Catherine & Count Basie Middle School 72 is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Jamaica, New York, enrolling 329 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 10.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of New York schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 81.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 329 puts it in the smaller third of New York schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 4,801 scored New York schools.
Against 835 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #393.
Its student body is led by African American (65%) and Hispanic or Latino (22%) (diversity index 52/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 47.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
New York City Geographic District #28 also operates Forest Hills High School (3,394 students) and Hillcrest High School (2,298 students) alongside Catherine & Count Basie Middle School 72.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Catherine & Count Basie Middle School 72 compares
Catherine & Count Basie Middle School 72 on the metrics families compare, against New York and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs New York | New York avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.6:1 | ▼ 10% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 81.5% | ▲ 45% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 329 | top 70% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.6:1
Leaner classes than 85% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
329
Bigger than 37% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
81.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 45% above the New York average of 56.2%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
10.6:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 38% in New York - lower ratio than 62% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
47.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
African American 65.0%
Hispanic or Latino 21.9%
Asian 5.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 4.6%
Two or More 1.2%
White 0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.9%
Largest group: African American at 65.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.4, Catherine & Count Basie Middle School 72 is more mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
How Catherine & Count Basie Middle School 72 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Hills High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hillcrest High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Thomas a Edison Career and Technical Education High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jhs 157 Stephen a Halsey | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jhs 217 Robert a Van Wyck | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Catherine & Count Basie Middle School 72's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,394
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 2,298
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 2,146
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,611
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,265
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of New York, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~329 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Catherine & Count Basie Middle School 72's federal record.
- Compare Catherine & Count Basie Middle School 72 against another school. Compare schools
- New York City Geographic District #28's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Catherine & Count Basie Middle School 72
How many students attend Catherine & Count Basie Middle School 72?
Catherine & Count Basie Middle School 72 has 329 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Jamaica, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Catherine & Count Basie Middle School 72?
The student-teacher ratio at Catherine & Count Basie Middle School 72 is 10.6:1, which is 10% lower than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 32% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Catherine & Count Basie Middle School 72?
81.5% of students at Catherine & Count Basie Middle School 72 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Catherine & Count Basie Middle School 72?
The largest demographic group at Catherine & Count Basie Middle School 72 is African American at 65.0% of enrollment, in Jamaica, NY. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Catherine & Count Basie Middle School 72?
Catherine & Count Basie Middle School 72 has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Catherine & Count Basie Middle School 72 rank among middle schools in Jamaica?
By Resource Investment Index, Catherine & Count Basie Middle School 72 ranks #3 of 6 middle schools in Jamaica, NY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Jamaica on the city page.
Is Catherine & Count Basie Middle School 72 a good school?
Catherine & Count Basie Middle School 72 earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New York median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in New York City Geographic District #28?
Besides Catherine & Count Basie Middle School 72, New York City Geographic District #28 also operates Forest Hills High School (3,394 students), Hillcrest High School (2,298 students), and Thomas a Edison Career and Technical Education High School (2,146 students). See the New York City Geographic District #28 district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.