Enrollment
610
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Long Island City, NY
Ps 17 Henry David Thoreau
Federal NCES profile for Ps 17 Henry David Thoreau, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 22/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 360010202093
👥 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 17 Henry David Thoreau earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of New York schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most New York schools.
- #13 of 15
- schools in Long Island City · Resource Index
- 22
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.1:1
- large classes for New York
- 67.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Ps 17 Henry David Thoreau 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 17 Henry David Thoreau ranks #13 of 15 schools in Long Island City, NY.
School address
District: New York City Geographic District #30 · New York
NCES ID 360010202093 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.1:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
+36% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
67.4%
vs 56.2% New York avg
+20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ps 17 Henry David Thoreau compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ps 17 Henry David Thoreau
Ps 17 Henry David Thoreau is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Long Island City, New York, enrolling 610 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 67.4% lands close to the New York typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 610 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 677 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New York schools statewide, it ranks #614, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (46%) and White (28%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 68/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 41.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
New York City Geographic District #30 also operates William Cullen Bryant High School (1,996 students) and Long Island City High School (1,639 students) alongside Ps 17 Henry David Thoreau.
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 17 Henry David Thoreau compares
Ps 17 Henry David Thoreau 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 | 67.4% | ▲ 20% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 610 | top 25% | - | - |
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.
610
Bigger than 74% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
67.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 20% 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
41.8%
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 46.2%
White 28.4%
Asian 13.1%
African American 6.7%
Two or More 4.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 46.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.2, Ps 17 Henry David Thoreau is more mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
How Ps 17 Henry David Thoreau Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Cullen Bryant High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Long Island City High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Is 227 Louis Armstrong | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Is 145 Joseph Pulitzer | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Academy of American Studies | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ps 17 Henry David Thoreau's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,996
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 1,639
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,555
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,397
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,206
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- 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 (~610 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ps 17 Henry David Thoreau's federal record.
- Compare Ps 17 Henry David Thoreau against another school. Compare schools
- New York City Geographic District #30'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 17 Henry David Thoreau
How many students attend Ps 17 Henry David Thoreau?
Ps 17 Henry David Thoreau has 610 students enrolled. It is a public school in Long Island City, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ps 17 Henry David Thoreau?
The student-teacher ratio at Ps 17 Henry David Thoreau 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 17 Henry David Thoreau?
67.4% of students at Ps 17 Henry David Thoreau are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ps 17 Henry David Thoreau?
The largest demographic group at Ps 17 Henry David Thoreau is Hispanic or Latino at 46.2% of enrollment, in Long Island City, NY. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ps 17 Henry David Thoreau?
Ps 17 Henry David Thoreau 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 17 Henry David Thoreau rank among schools in Long Island City?
By Resource Investment Index, Ps 17 Henry David Thoreau ranks #13 of 15 schools in Long Island City, NY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Long Island City on the city page.
Is Ps 17 Henry David Thoreau a good school?
Ps 17 Henry David Thoreau earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of New York schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 #30?
Besides Ps 17 Henry David Thoreau, New York City Geographic District #30 also operates William Cullen Bryant High School (1,996 students), Long Island City High School (1,639 students), and Is 227 Louis Armstrong (1,555 students). See the New York City Geographic District #30 district page for the complete list.
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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.