Enrollment
1,198
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Brooklyn, NY
Is 281 Joseph B Cavallaro
Federal NCES profile for Is 281 Joseph B Cavallaro, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 360015202792
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 32
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Is 281 Joseph B Cavallaro earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of New York schools. It is also one of the largest schools in New York.
- #25 of 94
- middle schools in Brooklyn · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.5:1
- large classes for New York
- 80.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Is 281 Joseph B Cavallaro has class sizes larger than 76% of New York schools. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Is 281 Joseph B Cavallaro ranks #25 of 94 middle schools in Brooklyn, NY.
School address
District: New York City Geographic District #21 · New York
NCES ID 360015202792 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
89.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.5:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
80.7%
vs 56.2% New York avg
+44% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Is 281 Joseph B Cavallaro compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at Is 281 Joseph B Cavallaro
Is 281 Joseph B Cavallaro is a high-poverty, large middle school in Brooklyn, New York, enrolling 1,198 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 13.5:1 puts it in the larger third of New York schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 80.7% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in New York, bigger than 95% of state schools at 1,198 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 4,801 scored New York schools.
Against 280 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #36.
Its student body is led by Asian (40%) and Hispanic or Latino (28%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 70/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
New York City Geographic District #21 also operates Edward R Murrow High School (3,503 students) and Abraham Lincoln High School (2,210 students) alongside Is 281 Joseph B Cavallaro.
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 Is 281 Joseph B Cavallaro compares
Is 281 Joseph B Cavallaro 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 | 13.5:1 | ▲ 14% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 80.7% | ▲ 44% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,198 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.5:1
Leaner classes than 62% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,198
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
80.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 44% 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
13.5:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 76% in New York - lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
27.3%
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
Asian 39.7%
Hispanic or Latino 27.6%
White 24.5%
African American 6.5%
Two or More 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Asian at 39.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.2, Is 281 Joseph B Cavallaro is more mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
How Is 281 Joseph B Cavallaro Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edward R Murrow High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Abraham Lincoln High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| John Dewey High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Is 228 David a Boody | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Is 98 Bay Academy | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Is 281 Joseph B Cavallaro's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,503
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 2,210
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 2,209
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 1,555
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,435
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
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 (~1,198 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Is 281 Joseph B Cavallaro's federal record.
- Compare Is 281 Joseph B Cavallaro against another school. Compare schools
- New York City Geographic District #21'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 Is 281 Joseph B Cavallaro
How many students attend Is 281 Joseph B Cavallaro?
Is 281 Joseph B Cavallaro has 1,198 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Brooklyn, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Is 281 Joseph B Cavallaro?
The student-teacher ratio at Is 281 Joseph B Cavallaro is 13.5:1, which is 14% higher than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 14% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Is 281 Joseph B Cavallaro?
80.7% of students at Is 281 Joseph B Cavallaro are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Is 281 Joseph B Cavallaro?
The largest demographic group at Is 281 Joseph B Cavallaro is Asian at 39.7% of enrollment, in Brooklyn, 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 Is 281 Joseph B Cavallaro?
Is 281 Joseph B Cavallaro has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical 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 Is 281 Joseph B Cavallaro rank among middle schools in Brooklyn?
By Resource Investment Index, Is 281 Joseph B Cavallaro ranks #25 of 94 middle schools in Brooklyn, 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 Brooklyn on the city page.
Is Is 281 Joseph B Cavallaro a good school?
Is 281 Joseph B Cavallaro earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of New York schools. It is also one of the largest schools in New York. 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 #21?
Besides Is 281 Joseph B Cavallaro, New York City Geographic District #21 also operates Edward R Murrow High School (3,503 students), Abraham Lincoln High School (2,210 students), and John Dewey High School (2,209 students). See the New York City Geographic District #21 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.