Enrollment
230
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Bronx, NY
Ms 129 Academy for Independent Learning and Leadership
Federal NCES profile for Ms 129 Academy for Independent Learning and Leadership, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 360009002477
👥 S:T ratio 68
🌟 Gifted program 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ms 129 Academy for Independent Learning and Leadership earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of New York schools.
- #5 of 72
- middle schools in Bronx · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 7.9:1
- small classes for New York
- 95.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Ms 129 Academy for Independent Learning and Leadership has class sizes smaller than 90% of New York schools. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ms 129 Academy for Independent Learning and Leadership ranks #5 of 72 middle schools in Bronx, NY.
School address
District: New York City Geographic District #12 · New York
NCES ID 360009002477 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
7.9:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
-33% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
95.6%
vs 56.2% New York avg
+70% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ms 129 Academy for Independent Learning and Leadership compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ms 129 Academy for Independent Learning and Leadership
Ms 129 Academy for Independent Learning and Leadership is a high-poverty, small middle school in Bronx, New York, enrolling 230 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 7.9:1, Ms 129 Academy for Independent Learning and Leadership is leaner than roughly 90% of New York schools and 33% under the state's 11.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 95.6% of students qualify for free meals, 70% above the New York average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 230 puts it in the smaller third of New York schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 98% of the 4,801 New York schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 400 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New York schools statewide, it ranks #17, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (67%) and African American (27%) (diversity index 47/100).
New York City Geographic District #12 also operates Ps 214 (814 students) and Ps 47 John Randolph (789 students) alongside Ms 129 Academy for Independent Learning and Leadership.
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 Ms 129 Academy for Independent Learning and Leadership compares
Ms 129 Academy for Independent Learning and Leadership 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 | 7.9:1 | ▼ 33% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 95.6% | ▲ 70% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 230 | top 87% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
7.9:1
Leaner classes than 95% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
230
Bigger than 23% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
95.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 70% above the New York average of 56.2%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
7.9:1
students per teacher
- 33% below state mean
Top 10% in New York - lower ratio than 90% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
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 67.4%
African American 27.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.6%
White 1.3%
Asian 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Two or More 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 67.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.0, Ms 129 Academy for Independent Learning and Leadership is about as mixed as the New York school average of 45.5.
How Ms 129 Academy for Independent Learning and Leadership Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ps 214 | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ps 47 John Randolph | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ps 195 | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ps 196 | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Bronx Academy for the Future | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ms 129 Academy for Independent Learning and Leadership's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 814
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 789
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 713
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 662
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 654
- Students per teacher
- 10.9:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
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 (~230 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ms 129 Academy for Independent Learning and Leadership's federal record.
- Compare Ms 129 Academy for Independent Learning and Leadership against another school. Compare schools
- New York City Geographic District #12'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 Ms 129 Academy for Independent Learning and Leadership
How many students attend Ms 129 Academy for Independent Learning and Leadership?
Ms 129 Academy for Independent Learning and Leadership has 230 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Bronx, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ms 129 Academy for Independent Learning and Leadership?
The student-teacher ratio at Ms 129 Academy for Independent Learning and Leadership is 7.9:1, which is 33% lower than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 50% 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 Ms 129 Academy for Independent Learning and Leadership?
95.6% of students at Ms 129 Academy for Independent Learning and Leadership are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ms 129 Academy for Independent Learning and Leadership?
The largest demographic group at Ms 129 Academy for Independent Learning and Leadership is Hispanic or Latino at 67.4% of enrollment, in Bronx, NY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ms 129 Academy for Independent Learning and Leadership?
Ms 129 Academy for Independent Learning and Leadership has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Ms 129 Academy for Independent Learning and Leadership rank among middle schools in Bronx?
By Resource Investment Index, Ms 129 Academy for Independent Learning and Leadership ranks #5 of 72 middle schools in Bronx, 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 Bronx on the city page.
Is Ms 129 Academy for Independent Learning and Leadership a good school?
Ms 129 Academy for Independent Learning and Leadership earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of 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 #12?
Besides Ms 129 Academy for Independent Learning and Leadership, New York City Geographic District #12 also operates Ps 214 (814 students), Ps 47 John Randolph (789 students), and Ps 195 (713 students). See the New York City Geographic District #12 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.