Enrollment
356
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Brooklyn, NY
Ps 138
Federal NCES profile for Ps 138, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 360009502504
👥 S:T ratio 64
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ps 138 earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 83% of New York schools.
- #76 of 262
- schools in Brooklyn · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 8.9:1
- small classes for New York
- 80.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Ps 138 has class sizes smaller than 83% of New York schools. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ps 138 ranks #76 of 262 schools in Brooklyn, NY.
School address
District: New York City Geographic District #17 · New York
NCES ID 360009502504 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
40.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
8.9:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
-25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
80.7%
vs 56.2% New York avg
+44% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ps 138 compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ps 138
Ps 138 is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Brooklyn, New York, enrolling 356 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 8.9:1 puts it in the smaller 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.
With 356 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 898 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #276.
Its student body is led by African American (69%) and Hispanic or Latino (17%) (diversity index 49/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 77.5% 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 Ps 138.
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 Ps 138 compares
Ps 138 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 | 8.9:1 | ▼ 25% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 80.7% | ▲ 44% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 356 | top 64% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
8.9:1
Leaner classes than 93% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
356
Bigger than 41% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
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
8.9:1
students per teacher
- 25% below state mean
Top 17% in New York - lower ratio than 83% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
77.5%
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 68.8%
Hispanic or Latino 16.6%
White 10.4%
Two or More 2.2%
Asian 1.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 68.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.8, Ps 138 is more mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
How Ps 138 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clara Barton High School | Larger | Similar 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 | Higher economic need | Higher 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 Ps 138'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 other 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 (~356 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~8.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ps 138's federal record.
- Compare Ps 138 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 Ps 138
How many students attend Ps 138?
Ps 138 has 356 students enrolled. It is a public school in Brooklyn, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ps 138?
The student-teacher ratio at Ps 138 is 8.9:1, which is 25% lower than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 43% 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 Ps 138?
80.7% of students at Ps 138 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ps 138?
The largest demographic group at Ps 138 is African American at 68.8% of enrollment, in Brooklyn, NY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ps 138?
Ps 138 has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (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 Ps 138 rank among schools in Brooklyn?
By Resource Investment Index, Ps 138 ranks #76 of 262 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 schools in Brooklyn on the city page.
Is Ps 138 a good school?
Ps 138 earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 83% 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 #17?
Besides Ps 138, 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.