Enrollment
663
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Brooklyn, NY
Ps 249 Caton (the)
Federal NCES profile for Ps 249 Caton (the), including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 360009502763
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 19
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ps 249 Caton (the) earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of New York schools.
- #63 of 262
- schools in Brooklyn · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13:1
- large classes for New York
- 78.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Ps 249 Caton (the) has class sizes larger than 71% of New York schools. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ps 249 Caton (the) ranks #63 of 262 schools in Brooklyn, NY.
School address
District: New York City Geographic District #17 · New York
NCES ID 360009502763 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
51.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
78.0%
vs 56.2% New York avg
+39% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ps 249 Caton (the) compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ps 249 Caton (the)
Ps 249 Caton (the) is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Brooklyn, New York, enrolling 663 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 13:1 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 78.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 663 puts it in the larger third of New York schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 4,801 scored New York schools.
Against 781 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #192.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (45%) and African American (39%) (diversity index 64/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.3% 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 249 Caton (the).
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 249 Caton (the) compares
Ps 249 Caton (the) 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 | 13:1 | ▲ 10% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 78.0% | ▲ 39% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 663 | top 21% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13:1
Leaner classes than 67% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
663
Bigger than 78% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
78.0%
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
13:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 71% in New York - lower ratio than 29% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
32.3%
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 45.3%
African American 38.7%
White 7.1%
Asian 5.9%
Two or More 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 45.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.6, Ps 249 Caton (the) is more mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
How Ps 249 Caton (the) Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clara Barton High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar 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 316 Elijah Stroud | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Norma Adams Clemons Academy | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ps 249 Caton (the)'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
- 644
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 588
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
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 (~663 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ps 249 Caton (the)'s federal record.
- Compare Ps 249 Caton (the) 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 249 Caton (the)
How many students attend Ps 249 Caton (the)?
Ps 249 Caton (the) has 663 students enrolled. It is a public school in Brooklyn, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ps 249 Caton (the)?
The student-teacher ratio at Ps 249 Caton (the) is 13:1, which is 10% higher than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 17% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ps 249 Caton (the)?
78.0% of students at Ps 249 Caton (the) are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ps 249 Caton (the)?
The largest demographic group at Ps 249 Caton (the) is Hispanic or Latino at 45.3% of enrollment, in Brooklyn, NY. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ps 249 Caton (the)?
Ps 249 Caton (the) has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (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 249 Caton (the) rank among schools in Brooklyn?
By Resource Investment Index, Ps 249 Caton (the) ranks #63 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 249 Caton (the) a good school?
Ps 249 Caton (the) earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% 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 #17?
Besides Ps 249 Caton (the), 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.