Enrollment
558
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Jamaica, NY
Ps 161 Arthur Ashe School
Federal NCES profile for Ps 161 Arthur Ashe School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 21/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 360010004734
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ps 161 Arthur Ashe School earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of New York schools.
- #19 of 24
- schools in Jamaica · Resource Index
- 21
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.4:1
- large classes for New York
- 78.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Ps 161 Arthur Ashe School has class sizes larger than 93% of New York schools. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ps 161 Arthur Ashe School ranks #19 of 24 schools in Jamaica, NY.
School address
District: New York City Geographic District #28 · New York
NCES ID 360010004734 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.4:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
+39% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
78.2%
vs 56.2% New York avg
+39% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ps 161 Arthur Ashe School compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ps 161 Arthur Ashe School
Ps 161 Arthur Ashe School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Jamaica, New York, enrolling 558 students.
Class loads run heavy: 16.4:1 is larger than about 93% of New York schools and 39% 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 78.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 558 puts it in the larger third of New York schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 98% of the 4,801 New York schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 893 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New York schools statewide, it ranks #831, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Asian (59%) and Hispanic or Latino (19%) (diversity index 60/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 49.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
New York City Geographic District #28 also operates Forest Hills High School (3,394 students) and Hillcrest High School (2,298 students) alongside Ps 161 Arthur Ashe 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 Ps 161 Arthur Ashe School compares
Ps 161 Arthur Ashe 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 | 16.4:1 | ▲ 39% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 78.2% | ▲ 39% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 558 | top 31% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.4:1
Leaner classes than 35% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
558
Bigger than 69% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
78.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 39% 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
16.4:1
students per teacher
- 39% above state mean
Top 93% in New York - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
49.6%
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 58.6%
Hispanic or Latino 19.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 14.2%
African American 3.4%
White 1.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.6%
Two or More 1.4%
Largest group: Asian at 58.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.8, Ps 161 Arthur Ashe School is more mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
How Ps 161 Arthur Ashe School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Hills High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hillcrest High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Thomas a Edison Career and Technical Education High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Jhs 157 Stephen a Halsey | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Jhs 217 Robert a Van Wyck | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ps 161 Arthur Ashe School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,394
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 2,298
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 2,146
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,611
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,265
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- 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 (~558 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ps 161 Arthur Ashe School's federal record.
- Compare Ps 161 Arthur Ashe School against another school. Compare schools
- New York City Geographic District #28'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 161 Arthur Ashe School
How many students attend Ps 161 Arthur Ashe School?
Ps 161 Arthur Ashe School has 558 students enrolled. It is a public school in Jamaica, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ps 161 Arthur Ashe School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ps 161 Arthur Ashe School is 16.4:1, which is 39% higher than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 4% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ps 161 Arthur Ashe School?
78.2% of students at Ps 161 Arthur Ashe School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ps 161 Arthur Ashe School?
The largest demographic group at Ps 161 Arthur Ashe School is Asian at 58.6% of enrollment, in Jamaica, NY. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ps 161 Arthur Ashe School?
Ps 161 Arthur Ashe School has a Resource Investment Index of 21/100 (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 161 Arthur Ashe School rank among schools in Jamaica?
By Resource Investment Index, Ps 161 Arthur Ashe School ranks #19 of 24 schools in Jamaica, NY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Jamaica on the city page.
Is Ps 161 Arthur Ashe School a good school?
Ps 161 Arthur Ashe School earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% 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 #28?
Besides Ps 161 Arthur Ashe School, New York City Geographic District #28 also operates Forest Hills High School (3,394 students), Hillcrest High School (2,298 students), and Thomas a Edison Career and Technical Education High School (2,146 students). See the New York City Geographic District #28 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.