Enrollment
178
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 360009102772
Ps 256 Benjamin Banneker — Brooklyn, NY
Federal NCES profile for Ps 256 Benjamin Banneker, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 27/100.
👥 Class size 50
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: New York City Geographic District #13 · New York
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.6:1
vs 11.7:1 New York avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
89.1%
vs 56.2% New York avg
+59% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ps 256 Benjamin Banneker compares with New York and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Ps 256 Benjamin Banneker reports 178 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 16.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 12.6:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 8% above the New York state mean of 11.7:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 21% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 89.1% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 59% above the New York average and 72% above the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 99.4% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (F), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Ps 256 Benjamin Banneker compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against New York state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs New York | New York avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.6:1 | ▲ 8% | 11.7:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 89.1% | ▲ 59% | 56.2% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 178 | top 7% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
89.1%
free-lunch eligible
— 59% 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
12.6:1
students per teacher
— 8% above state mean
Top 67% in New York — lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
99.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Overview
Enrollment 178 Top 7% in New York — larger than 93% of 4,812 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 16.0
Students per teacher 12.6:1 +8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 89.1% +59% vs state
NCES ID 360009102772
Student demographics
African American 57.3%
Hispanic or Latino 33.1%
Asian 3.9%
White 3.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
Two or More 0.6%
Largest group: African American at 57.3% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 99.4%
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 5,848
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Enrollment
- 923
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Enrollment
- 854
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Enrollment
- 782
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Enrollment
- 757
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
Similar other schools in Brooklyn
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Coney Island Preparatory Public Charter School
Standard public school
1,336 students 11.2:1 students per teacher
Achievement First Crown Heights Charter School
Standard public school
1,320 students 13.4:1 students per teacher
Leadership Preparatory Ocean Hill Charter School
Standard public school
1,313 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Medgar Evers College Preparatory School
Standard public school
1,267 students 18.3:1 students per teacher
Kings Collegiate Charter School
Standard public school
1,262 students 12.5:1 students per teacher
Brooklyn Prospect Charter School - Csd 15.2
Standard public school
1,259 students 8.7:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Ps 256 Benjamin Banneker
How many students attend Ps 256 Benjamin Banneker?
Ps 256 Benjamin Banneker has 178 students enrolled. It is a other school in BROOKLYN, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ps 256 Benjamin Banneker?
The student-teacher ratio at Ps 256 Benjamin Banneker is 12.6:1, which is 8% higher than the New York average of 11.7:1 and 21% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ps 256 Benjamin Banneker?
89.1% of students at Ps 256 Benjamin Banneker are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ps 256 Benjamin Banneker?
The largest demographic group at Ps 256 Benjamin Banneker is African American at 57.3%. The school serves a diverse student body in BROOKLYN, NY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ps 256 Benjamin Banneker?
Ps 256 Benjamin Banneker has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.