Enrollment
661
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Brooklyn, NY
Ps 159 Isaac Pitkin
Federal NCES profile for Ps 159 Isaac Pitkin, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 22/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 360012002572
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ps 159 Isaac Pitkin earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of New York schools.
- #245 of 262
- schools in Brooklyn · Resource Index
- 22
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.1:1
- large classes for New York
- 87.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Ps 159 Isaac Pitkin has class sizes larger than 92% of New York schools. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ps 159 Isaac Pitkin ranks #245 of 262 schools in Brooklyn, NY.
School address
District: New York City Geographic District #19 · New York
NCES ID 360012002572 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.1:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
+36% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
87.2%
vs 56.2% New York avg
+55% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ps 159 Isaac Pitkin compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ps 159 Isaac Pitkin
Ps 159 Isaac Pitkin is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Brooklyn, New York, enrolling 661 students.
Class loads run heavy: 16.1:1 is larger than about 92% of New York schools and 36% above the 11.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 87.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 661 puts it in the larger third of New York schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 97% of the 4,801 New York schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 687 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New York schools statewide, it ranks #618, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Asian (57%) and Hispanic or Latino (23%) (diversity index 59/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 56.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
New York City Geographic District #19 also operates Transit Tech Career and Technical Education High School (795 students) and Ps 214 Michael Friedsam (728 students) alongside Ps 159 Isaac Pitkin.
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 159 Isaac Pitkin compares
Ps 159 Isaac Pitkin 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 | 16.1:1 | ▲ 36% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 87.2% | ▲ 55% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 661 | top 21% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.1:1
Leaner classes than 37% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
661
Bigger than 78% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
87.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 55% 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
16.1:1
students per teacher
- 36% above state mean
Top 92% in New York - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
56.4%
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
Asian 57.2%
Hispanic or Latino 23.4%
African American 16.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.8%
Two or More 0.6%
White 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Asian at 57.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.0, Ps 159 Isaac Pitkin is more mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
How Ps 159 Isaac Pitkin Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transit Tech Career and Technical Education High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ps 214 Michael Friedsam | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ps 108 Sal Abbracciamento | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| East New York Family Academy | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ps 7 Abraham Lincoln | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ps 159 Isaac Pitkin's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 795
- Students per teacher
- 10.1:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 728
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 649
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 610
- Students per teacher
- 10.9:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 589
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- 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 (~661 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ps 159 Isaac Pitkin's federal record.
- Compare Ps 159 Isaac Pitkin against another school. Compare schools
- New York City Geographic District #19'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 159 Isaac Pitkin
How many students attend Ps 159 Isaac Pitkin?
Ps 159 Isaac Pitkin has 661 students enrolled. It is a public school in Brooklyn, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ps 159 Isaac Pitkin?
The student-teacher ratio at Ps 159 Isaac Pitkin is 16.1:1, which is 36% higher than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 3% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ps 159 Isaac Pitkin?
87.2% of students at Ps 159 Isaac Pitkin are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ps 159 Isaac Pitkin?
The largest demographic group at Ps 159 Isaac Pitkin is Asian at 57.2% of enrollment, in Brooklyn, NY. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ps 159 Isaac Pitkin?
Ps 159 Isaac Pitkin has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (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 159 Isaac Pitkin rank among schools in Brooklyn?
By Resource Investment Index, Ps 159 Isaac Pitkin ranks #245 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 159 Isaac Pitkin a good school?
Ps 159 Isaac Pitkin earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% 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 #19?
Besides Ps 159 Isaac Pitkin, New York City Geographic District #19 also operates Transit Tech Career and Technical Education High School (795 students), Ps 214 Michael Friedsam (728 students), and Ps 108 Sal Abbracciamento (649 students). See the New York City Geographic District #19 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.