Enrollment
246
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · New York, NY
Ms 243 Center School
Federal NCES profile for Ms 243 Center School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 360007803552
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 68
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ms 243 Center School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of New York schools.
- #6 of 46
- elementary schools in New York · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.4:1
- large classes for New York
- 20.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Ms 243 Center School has class sizes larger than 89% of New York schools. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ms 243 Center School ranks #6 of 46 elementary schools in New York, NY.
School address
District: New York City Geographic District # 3 · New York
NCES ID 360007803552 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.4:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
+31% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
20.6%
vs 56.2% New York avg
-63% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ms 243 Center School compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ms 243 Center School
Ms 243 Center School is a small elementary school in New York, New York, enrolling 246 students.
Class loads run heavy: 15.4:1 is larger than about 89% of New York schools and 31% above the 11.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 20.6% free-meal eligibility runs 63% below the New York average.
Enrollment of 246 puts it in the smaller third of New York schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 4,801 scored New York schools.
Against 259 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #44.
Its student body is led by White (56%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 64/100).
13.0% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
New York City Geographic District # 3 also operates Fiorello H Laguardia High School (2,251 students) and Beacon High School (1,372 students) alongside Ms 243 Center School.
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 243 Center School compares
Ms 243 Center School 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 | 15.4:1 | ▲ 31% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 20.6% | ▼ 63% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 246 | top 85% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.4:1
Leaner classes than 43% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
246
Bigger than 25% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
20.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 63% below the New York average of 56.2%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.4:1
students per teacher
- 31% above state mean
Top 89% in New York - lower ratio than 11% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
13.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
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
White 55.7%
Hispanic or Latino 16.3%
African American 11.0%
Two or More 8.9%
Asian 7.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 55.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.7, Ms 243 Center School is more mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
How Ms 243 Center School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fiorello H Laguardia High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Beacon High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ps 87 William Sherman | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West End Secondary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Jhs 54 Booker T Washington | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ms 243 Center School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,251
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 1,372
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 751
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 722
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 720
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar elementary 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 (~246 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ms 243 Center School's federal record.
- Compare Ms 243 Center School against another school. Compare schools
- New York City Geographic District # 3'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 243 Center School
How many students attend Ms 243 Center School?
Ms 243 Center School has 246 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in New York, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ms 243 Center School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ms 243 Center School is 15.4:1, which is 31% higher than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 2% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ms 243 Center School?
20.6% of students at Ms 243 Center School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ms 243 Center School?
The largest demographic group at Ms 243 Center School is White at 55.7% of enrollment, in New York, NY. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ms 243 Center School?
Ms 243 Center School has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Ms 243 Center School rank among elementary schools in New York?
By Resource Investment Index, Ms 243 Center School ranks #6 of 46 elementary schools in New York, NY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in New York on the city page.
Is Ms 243 Center School a good school?
Ms 243 Center School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% 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 # 3?
Besides Ms 243 Center School, New York City Geographic District # 3 also operates Fiorello H Laguardia High School (2,251 students), Beacon High School (1,372 students), and Ps 87 William Sherman (751 students). See the New York City Geographic District # 3 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.