Enrollment
414
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Jamaica, NY
Hillside Arts & Letters Academy
Federal NCES profile for Hillside Arts & Letters Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 20/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 360010006174
👥 S:T ratio 41
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hillside Arts & Letters Academy earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of New York schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most New York schools.
- #8 of 13
- high schools in Jamaica · Resource Index
- 20
- Resource Index · Lower
- 14.8:1
- large classes for New York
- 66.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Hillside Arts & Letters Academy has class sizes larger than 85% of New York schools. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hillside Arts & Letters Academy ranks #8 of 13 high schools in Jamaica, NY.
School address
District: New York City Geographic District #28 · New York
NCES ID 360010006174 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.8:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
+25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
66.7%
vs 56.2% New York avg
+19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hillside Arts & Letters Academy compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hillside Arts & Letters Academy
Hillside Arts & Letters Academy is a higher-need, mid-sized high school in Jamaica, New York, enrolling 414 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.8:1 puts it in the larger third of New York schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 66.7% lands close to the New York typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 414 students, its enrollment sits close to the New York median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 96% of the 4,801 New York schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 680 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New York schools statewide, it ranks #609, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (39%) and African American (30%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 70/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 51.2% 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 Hillside Arts & Letters Academy.
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 Hillside Arts & Letters Academy compares
Hillside Arts & Letters Academy 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 | 14.8:1 | ▲ 25% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 66.7% | ▲ 19% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 414 | top 52% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.8:1
Leaner classes than 49% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
414
Bigger than 50% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
66.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% 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
14.8:1
students per teacher
- 25% above state mean
Top 85% in New York - lower ratio than 15% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
51.2%
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 38.9%
African American 30.2%
Asian 23.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 3.9%
White 1.7%
Two or More 1.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 38.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.2, Hillside Arts & Letters Academy is more mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
How Hillside Arts & Letters Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Hills High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hillcrest High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Thomas a Edison Career and Technical Education High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jhs 157 Stephen a Halsey | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Jhs 217 Robert a Van Wyck | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hillside Arts & Letters Academy'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 high 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 (~414 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hillside Arts & Letters Academy's federal record.
- Compare Hillside Arts & Letters Academy 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 Hillside Arts & Letters Academy
How many students attend Hillside Arts & Letters Academy?
Hillside Arts & Letters Academy has 414 students enrolled. It is a high school in Jamaica, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hillside Arts & Letters Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Hillside Arts & Letters Academy is 14.8:1, which is 25% higher than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Hillside Arts & Letters Academy?
66.7% of students at Hillside Arts & Letters Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hillside Arts & Letters Academy?
The largest demographic group at Hillside Arts & Letters Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 38.9% of enrollment, in Jamaica, NY. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hillside Arts & Letters Academy?
Hillside Arts & Letters Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 20/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Hillside Arts & Letters Academy rank among high schools in Jamaica?
By Resource Investment Index, Hillside Arts & Letters Academy ranks #8 of 13 high 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 high schools in Jamaica on the city page.
Is Hillside Arts & Letters Academy a good school?
Hillside Arts & Letters Academy earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of New York schools. 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 Hillside Arts & Letters Academy, 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.