Enrollment
568
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Brooklyn, NY
Ps 181
Federal NCES profile for Ps 181, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 360009502631
👥 S:T ratio 51
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ps 181 earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New York median.
- #163 of 262
- schools in Brooklyn · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 12.3:1
- students per teacher
- 79.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Ps 181 has class sizes near the New York median. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ps 181 ranks #163 of 262 schools in Brooklyn, NY.
School address
District: New York City Geographic District #17 · New York
NCES ID 360009502631 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
46.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.3:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
79.2%
vs 56.2% New York avg
+41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ps 181 compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ps 181
Ps 181 is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Brooklyn, New York, enrolling 568 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 12.3:1 puts it in the larger third of New York schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 79.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 568 puts it in the larger third of New York schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 4,801 scored New York schools.
Against 895 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #545.
Its student body is led by African American (76%) and Hispanic or Latino (14%) (diversity index 40/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 61.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
New York City Geographic District #17 also operates Clara Barton High School (1,325 students) and Medgar Evers College Preparatory School (1,267 students) alongside Ps 181.
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 181 compares
Ps 181 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 | 12.3:1 | ▲ 4% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 79.2% | ▲ 41% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 568 | top 30% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.3:1
Leaner classes than 73% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
568
Bigger than 70% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
79.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% 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
12.3:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 64% in New York - lower ratio than 36% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
61.4%
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
African American 76.2%
Hispanic or Latino 14.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 4.6%
White 2.5%
Asian 1.2%
Two or More 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: African American at 76.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 39.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 39.6, Ps 181 is less mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
How Ps 181 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clara Barton High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Medgar Evers College Preparatory School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ps 189 Bilingual Center (the) | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ps 249 Caton (the) | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ps 316 Elijah Stroud | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ps 181's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,325
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 1,267
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 887
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 663
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 644
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- 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 (~568 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ps 181's federal record.
- Compare Ps 181 against another school. Compare schools
- New York City Geographic District #17'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 181
How many students attend Ps 181?
Ps 181 has 568 students enrolled. It is a public school in Brooklyn, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ps 181?
The student-teacher ratio at Ps 181 is 12.3:1, which is 4% higher than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 22% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ps 181?
79.2% of students at Ps 181 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ps 181?
The largest demographic group at Ps 181 is African American at 76.2% of enrollment, in Brooklyn, NY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ps 181?
Ps 181 has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (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 181 rank among schools in Brooklyn?
By Resource Investment Index, Ps 181 ranks #163 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 181 a good school?
Ps 181 earns 27/100 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 #17?
Besides Ps 181, New York City Geographic District #17 also operates Clara Barton High School (1,325 students), Medgar Evers College Preparatory School (1,267 students), and Ps 189 Bilingual Center (the) (887 students). See the New York City Geographic District #17 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.