Enrollment
319
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Bellerose, NY
Ps 186 Castlewood
Federal NCES profile for Ps 186 Castlewood, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 360009902642
👥 S:T ratio 76
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 18
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ps 186 Castlewood earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 97% of New York schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most New York schools.
- #1 of 6
- schools in Bellerose · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 5.9:1
- small classes for New York
- 35.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Ps 186 Castlewood has class sizes smaller than 97% of New York schools. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ps 186 Castlewood ranks #1 of 6 schools in Bellerose, NY.
School address
District: New York City Geographic District #26 · New York
NCES ID 360009902642 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
54.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
5.9:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
-50% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
35.1%
vs 56.2% New York avg
-38% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ps 186 Castlewood compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ps 186 Castlewood
Ps 186 Castlewood is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Bellerose, New York, enrolling 319 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 5.9:1, Ps 186 Castlewood is leaner than roughly 97% of New York schools and 50% under the state's 11.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 35.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 319 puts it in the smaller third of New York schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 4,801 scored New York schools.
Against 737 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #213.
Its student body is led by Asian (41%) and Hispanic or Latino (25%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 73/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
New York City Geographic District #26 also operates Francis Lewis High School (4,573 students) and Bayside High School (3,004 students) alongside Ps 186 Castlewood.
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 186 Castlewood compares
Ps 186 Castlewood 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 | 5.9:1 | ▼ 50% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 35.1% | ▼ 38% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 319 | top 72% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
5.9:1
Leaner classes than 98% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
319
Bigger than 35% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
35.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 38% below the New York average of 56.2%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
5.9:1
students per teacher
- 50% below state mean
Top 3% in New York - lower ratio than 97% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
32.6%
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 41.4%
Hispanic or Latino 24.5%
White 15.7%
African American 11.9%
Two or More 4.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.9%
Largest group: Asian at 41.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.8, Ps 186 Castlewood is more mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
How Ps 186 Castlewood Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Francis Lewis High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bayside High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Benjamin N Cardozo High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jhs 216 George J Ryan | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Martin Van Buren High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ps 186 Castlewood's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 4,573
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 3,004
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 2,866
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 1,516
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,131
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- 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 (~319 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~5.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ps 186 Castlewood's federal record.
- Compare Ps 186 Castlewood against another school. Compare schools
- New York City Geographic District #26'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 186 Castlewood
How many students attend Ps 186 Castlewood?
Ps 186 Castlewood has 319 students enrolled. It is a public school in Bellerose, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ps 186 Castlewood?
The student-teacher ratio at Ps 186 Castlewood is 5.9:1, which is 50% lower than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 62% 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 186 Castlewood?
35.1% of students at Ps 186 Castlewood are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ps 186 Castlewood?
The largest demographic group at Ps 186 Castlewood is Asian at 41.4% of enrollment, in Bellerose, NY. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ps 186 Castlewood?
Ps 186 Castlewood has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (typical 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 186 Castlewood rank among schools in Bellerose?
By Resource Investment Index, Ps 186 Castlewood ranks #1 of 6 schools in Bellerose, NY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Bellerose on the city page.
Is Ps 186 Castlewood a good school?
Ps 186 Castlewood earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 97% 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 #26?
Besides Ps 186 Castlewood, New York City Geographic District #26 also operates Francis Lewis High School (4,573 students), Bayside High School (3,004 students), and Benjamin N Cardozo High School (2,866 students). See the New York City Geographic District #26 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.