Enrollment
421
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Brooklyn, NY
Ps 156 Waverly
Federal NCES profile for Ps 156 Waverly, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 360012102564
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ps 156 Waverly earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of New York schools.
- #202 of 262
- schools in Brooklyn · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 14:1
- large classes for New York
- 90.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Ps 156 Waverly has class sizes larger than 80% of New York schools. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ps 156 Waverly ranks #202 of 262 schools in Brooklyn, NY.
School address
District: New York City Geographic District #23 · New York
NCES ID 360012102564 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
+19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
90.1%
vs 56.2% New York avg
+60% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ps 156 Waverly compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ps 156 Waverly
Ps 156 Waverly is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Brooklyn, New York, enrolling 421 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14:1 puts it in the larger third of New York schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 90.1% of students qualify for free meals, 60% above the New York average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 421 students, its enrollment sits close to the New York median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 93% of the 4,801 New York schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 846 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New York schools statewide, it ranks #705, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (65%) and Hispanic or Latino (29%) (diversity index 49/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 77.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
New York City Geographic District #23 also operates Eagle Academy for Young Men Ii (662 students) and Brooklyn Collegiate: a College Board School (512 students) alongside Ps 156 Waverly.
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 156 Waverly compares
Ps 156 Waverly 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 | 14:1 | ▲ 19% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 90.1% | ▲ 60% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 421 | top 51% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14:1
Leaner classes than 57% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
421
Bigger than 51% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
90.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 60% 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
14:1
students per teacher
- 19% above state mean
Top 80% in New York - lower ratio than 20% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
77.2%
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 65.3%
Hispanic or Latino 28.7%
White 1.7%
Asian 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.2%
Two or More 1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
Largest group: African American at 65.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.0, Ps 156 Waverly is more mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
How Ps 156 Waverly Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eagle Academy for Young Men Ii | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Brooklyn Collegiate: a College Board School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ps 184 Newport | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Brooklyn Landmark Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ps 298 Dr Betty Shabazz | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ps 156 Waverly's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 662
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 512
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 395
- Students per teacher
- 10.4:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 378
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 339
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
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 (~421 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ps 156 Waverly's federal record.
- Compare Ps 156 Waverly against another school. Compare schools
- New York City Geographic District #23'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 156 Waverly
How many students attend Ps 156 Waverly?
Ps 156 Waverly has 421 students enrolled. It is a public school in Brooklyn, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ps 156 Waverly?
The student-teacher ratio at Ps 156 Waverly is 14:1, which is 19% higher than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 11% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ps 156 Waverly?
90.1% of students at Ps 156 Waverly are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ps 156 Waverly?
The largest demographic group at Ps 156 Waverly is African American at 65.3% of enrollment, in Brooklyn, NY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ps 156 Waverly?
Ps 156 Waverly has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (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 156 Waverly rank among schools in Brooklyn?
By Resource Investment Index, Ps 156 Waverly ranks #202 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 156 Waverly a good school?
Ps 156 Waverly earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% 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 #23?
Besides Ps 156 Waverly, New York City Geographic District #23 also operates Eagle Academy for Young Men Ii (662 students), Brooklyn Collegiate: a College Board School (512 students), and Ps 184 Newport (395 students). See the New York City Geographic District #23 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.