Enrollment
178
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Brooklyn, NY
Ps 256 Benjamin Banneker
Federal NCES profile for Ps 256 Benjamin Banneker, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 360009102772
👥 S:T ratio 56
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ps 256 Benjamin Banneker earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New York median.
- #120 of 262
- schools in Brooklyn · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 11.1:1
- students per teacher
- 89.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Ps 256 Benjamin Banneker has class sizes near the New York median. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ps 256 Benjamin Banneker ranks #120 of 262 schools in Brooklyn, NY.
School address
District: New York City Geographic District #13 · New York
NCES ID 360009102772 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.1:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
-6% 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
What stands out at Ps 256 Benjamin Banneker
Ps 256 Benjamin Banneker is a high-poverty, small combined-grade school in Brooklyn, New York, enrolling 178 students.
At 11.1:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the New York median, within a few percentage points of the 11.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need is high: 89.1% of students qualify for free meals, 59% above the New York average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 93% of New York schools, with 178 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 4,801 scored New York schools.
Among 298 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New York schools statewide, it ranks #225, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (57%) and Hispanic or Latino (33%) (diversity index 56/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 99.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
New York City Geographic District #13 also operates Brooklyn Technical High School (5,848 students) and Ps 11 Purvis J Behan (923 students) alongside Ps 256 Benjamin Banneker.
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 256 Benjamin Banneker compares
Ps 256 Benjamin Banneker 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 | 11.1:1 | ▼ 6% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 89.1% | ▲ 59% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 178 | top 93% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.1:1
Leaner classes than 82% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
178
Bigger than 17% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
89.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 59% above the New York average of 56.2%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11.1:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 46% in New York - lower ratio than 54% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
99.4%
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 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.
Student-body diversity index 55.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.9, Ps 256 Benjamin Banneker is more mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
How Ps 256 Benjamin Banneker Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn Technical High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ps 11 Purvis J Behan | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Benjamin Banneker Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ps 9 Sarah Smith Garnet School (the) | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Academy of Arts and Letters | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ps 256 Benjamin Banneker's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 5,848
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 923
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 854
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 782
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 757
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
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 (~178 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ps 256 Benjamin Banneker's federal record.
- Compare Ps 256 Benjamin Banneker against another school. Compare schools
- New York City Geographic District #13'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 256 Benjamin Banneker
How many students attend Ps 256 Benjamin Banneker?
Ps 256 Benjamin Banneker has 178 students enrolled. It is a public 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 11.1:1, which is 6% lower than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 29% 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 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% of enrollment, in Brooklyn, NY. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ps 256 Benjamin Banneker?
Ps 256 Benjamin Banneker has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (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 256 Benjamin Banneker rank among schools in Brooklyn?
By Resource Investment Index, Ps 256 Benjamin Banneker ranks #120 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 256 Benjamin Banneker a good school?
Ps 256 Benjamin Banneker earns 29/100 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 #13?
Besides Ps 256 Benjamin Banneker, New York City Geographic District #13 also operates Brooklyn Technical High School (5,848 students), Ps 11 Purvis J Behan (923 students), and Benjamin Banneker Academy (854 students). See the New York City Geographic District #13 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.