Enrollment
284
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Jamaica, NY
Emerson School (the)
Federal NCES profile for Emerson School (the), including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 360010006438
👥 S:T ratio 56
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Emerson School (the) earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New York median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most New York schools.
- #4 of 6
- middle schools in Jamaica · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 10.9:1
- students per teacher
- 86.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Emerson School (the) has class sizes near the New York median. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Emerson School (the) ranks #4 of 6 middle schools in Jamaica, NY.
School address
District: New York City Geographic District #28 · New York
NCES ID 360010006438 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.9:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
86.3%
vs 56.2% New York avg
+54% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Emerson School (the) compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at Emerson School (the)
Emerson School (the) is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Jamaica, New York, enrolling 284 students.
At 10.9:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the New York median, within a few percentage points of the 11.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 86.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 284 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 693 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #415.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (41%) and African American (35%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 69/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 81.3% 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 Emerson School (the).
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 Emerson School (the) compares
Emerson School (the) 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 | 10.9:1 | ▼ 8% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 86.3% | ▲ 54% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 284 | top 78% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.9:1
Leaner classes than 84% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
284
Bigger than 30% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
86.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 54% 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
10.9:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 43% in New York - lower ratio than 57% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
81.3%
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
Hispanic or Latino 40.5%
African American 35.2%
Asian 13.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 7.7%
White 2.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
Two or More 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 40.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.8, Emerson School (the) is more mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
How Emerson School (the) 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 Emerson School (the)'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 (~284 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Emerson School (the)'s federal record.
- Compare Emerson School (the) 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 Emerson School (the)
How many students attend Emerson School (the)?
Emerson School (the) has 284 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Jamaica, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Emerson School (the)?
The student-teacher ratio at Emerson School (the) is 10.9:1, which is 8% lower than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 31% 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 Emerson School (the)?
86.3% of students at Emerson School (the) are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Emerson School (the)?
The largest demographic group at Emerson School (the) is Hispanic or Latino at 40.5% of enrollment, in Jamaica, NY. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Emerson School (the)?
Emerson School (the) 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 Emerson School (the) rank among middle schools in Jamaica?
By Resource Investment Index, Emerson School (the) ranks #4 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 Emerson School (the) a good school?
Emerson School (the) earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New York median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most New York schools. 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 Emerson School (the), 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.