Enrollment
357
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Brooklyn, NY
Ms 246 Walt Whitman
Federal NCES profile for Ms 246 Walt Whitman, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 360009502760
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ms 246 Walt Whitman earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New York median.
- #78 of 94
- middle schools in Brooklyn · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 11.5:1
- students per teacher
- 85.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Ms 246 Walt Whitman has class sizes near the New York median. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ms 246 Walt Whitman ranks #78 of 94 middle schools in Brooklyn, NY.
School address
District: New York City Geographic District #17 · New York
NCES ID 360009502760 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.5:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
85.4%
vs 56.2% New York avg
+52% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ms 246 Walt Whitman compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ms 246 Walt Whitman
Ms 246 Walt Whitman is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Brooklyn, New York, enrolling 357 students.
At 11.5:1, 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 85.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 357 students, its enrollment sits close to the New York median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 4,801 scored New York schools.
Against 882 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #529.
Its student body is led by African American (63%) and Hispanic or Latino (31%) (diversity index 52/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 59.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
New York City Geographic District #17 also operates Clara Barton High School (1,325 students) and Medgar Evers College Preparatory School (1,267 students) alongside Ms 246 Walt Whitman.
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 246 Walt Whitman compares
Ms 246 Walt Whitman 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 | 11.5:1 | ▼ 3% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 85.4% | ▲ 52% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 357 | top 64% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.5:1
Leaner classes than 79% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
357
Bigger than 41% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
85.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 52% 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
11.5:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 52% in New York - lower ratio than 48% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
59.4%
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
African American 62.5%
Hispanic or Latino 30.5%
White 3.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.2%
Asian 1.4%
Largest group: African American at 62.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.5, Ms 246 Walt Whitman is more mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
How Ms 246 Walt Whitman Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clara Barton High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Medgar Evers College Preparatory School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ps 189 Bilingual Center (the) | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ps 249 Caton (the) | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ps 316 Elijah Stroud | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ms 246 Walt Whitman's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,325
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 1,267
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 887
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 663
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 644
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- 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 (~357 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ms 246 Walt Whitman's federal record.
- Compare Ms 246 Walt Whitman against another school. Compare schools
- New York City Geographic District #17'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 246 Walt Whitman
How many students attend Ms 246 Walt Whitman?
Ms 246 Walt Whitman has 357 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Brooklyn, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ms 246 Walt Whitman?
The student-teacher ratio at Ms 246 Walt Whitman is 11.5:1, which is 3% lower than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 27% 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 246 Walt Whitman?
85.4% of students at Ms 246 Walt Whitman are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ms 246 Walt Whitman?
The largest demographic group at Ms 246 Walt Whitman is African American at 62.5% of enrollment, in Brooklyn, NY. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ms 246 Walt Whitman?
Ms 246 Walt Whitman has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (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 Ms 246 Walt Whitman rank among middle schools in Brooklyn?
By Resource Investment Index, Ms 246 Walt Whitman ranks #78 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 Ms 246 Walt Whitman a good school?
Ms 246 Walt Whitman earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New York median. 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 #17?
Besides Ms 246 Walt Whitman, New York City Geographic District #17 also operates Clara Barton High School (1,325 students), Medgar Evers College Preparatory School (1,267 students), and Ps 189 Bilingual Center (the) (887 students). See the New York City Geographic District #17 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.