Enrollment
303
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Bronx, NY
Ps 161 Juan Ponce De Leon School
Federal NCES profile for Ps 161 Juan Ponce De Leon School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 360008402578
👥 S:T ratio 57
🌟 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 Juan Ponce De Leon School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New York median.
- #83 of 184
- schools in Bronx · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 10.8:1
- students per teacher
- 93.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Ps 161 Juan Ponce De Leon School has class sizes near the New York median. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ps 161 Juan Ponce De Leon School ranks #83 of 184 schools in Bronx, NY.
School address
District: New York City Geographic District # 7 · New York
NCES ID 360008402578 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.8:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
93.3%
vs 56.2% New York avg
+66% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ps 161 Juan Ponce De Leon School compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ps 161 Juan Ponce De Leon School
Ps 161 Juan Ponce De Leon School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Bronx, New York, enrolling 303 students.
At 10.8:1, 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 is high: 93.3% of students qualify for free meals, 66% above the New York average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 303 puts it in the smaller third of New York schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 4,801 scored New York schools.
Against 619 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #362.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (78%) and African American (20%) (diversity index 35/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 74.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
New York City Geographic District # 7 also operates Hero High School (733 students) and Laboratory School of Finance and Technology (the): X223 (646 students) alongside Ps 161 Juan Ponce De Leon 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 Juan Ponce De Leon School compares
Ps 161 Juan Ponce De Leon 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 | 10.8:1 | ▼ 8% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 93.3% | ▲ 66% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 303 | top 75% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.8:1
Leaner classes than 84% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
303
Bigger than 33% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
93.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 66% 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
10.8:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 42% in New York - lower ratio than 58% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
74.6%
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
Hispanic or Latino 77.9%
African American 19.8%
White 1.3%
Asian 0.7%
Two or More 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 77.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.4, Ps 161 Juan Ponce De Leon School is less mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
How Ps 161 Juan Ponce De Leon School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hero High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Laboratory School of Finance and Technology (the): X223 | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ps 5 Port Morris | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ps/Ms 29 Melrose School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| South Bronx Preparatory - a College Board School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ps 161 Juan Ponce De Leon School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 733
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 646
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 630
- Students per teacher
- 10.9:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 606
- Students per teacher
- 8.3:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 603
- Students per teacher
- 10.6:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
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 (~303 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ps 161 Juan Ponce De Leon School's federal record.
- Compare Ps 161 Juan Ponce De Leon School against another school. Compare schools
- New York City Geographic District # 7'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 Juan Ponce De Leon School
How many students attend Ps 161 Juan Ponce De Leon School?
Ps 161 Juan Ponce De Leon School has 303 students enrolled. It is a public school in Bronx, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ps 161 Juan Ponce De Leon School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ps 161 Juan Ponce De Leon School is 10.8:1, which is 8% lower than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 31% 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 161 Juan Ponce De Leon School?
93.3% of students at Ps 161 Juan Ponce De Leon 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 Juan Ponce De Leon School?
The largest demographic group at Ps 161 Juan Ponce De Leon School is Hispanic or Latino at 77.9% of enrollment, in Bronx, NY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ps 161 Juan Ponce De Leon School?
Ps 161 Juan Ponce De Leon School has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (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 Juan Ponce De Leon School rank among schools in Bronx?
By Resource Investment Index, Ps 161 Juan Ponce De Leon School ranks #83 of 184 schools in Bronx, NY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Bronx on the city page.
Is Ps 161 Juan Ponce De Leon School a good school?
Ps 161 Juan Ponce De Leon School earns 29/100 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 # 7?
Besides Ps 161 Juan Ponce De Leon School, New York City Geographic District # 7 also operates Hero High School (733 students), Laboratory School of Finance and Technology (the): X223 (646 students), and Ps 5 Port Morris (630 students). See the New York City Geographic District # 7 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.