Enrollment
447
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Jackson Heights, NY
Ps 280 Home of the Lionhearts
Federal NCES profile for Ps 280 Home of the Lionhearts, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 360010206186
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ps 280 Home of the Lionhearts earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New York median.
- #5 of 8
- public schools in Jackson Heights · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 12.1:1
- students per teacher
- 84.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Ps 280 Home of the Lionhearts has class sizes near the New York median. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ps 280 Home of the Lionhearts ranks #5 of 8 public schools in Jackson Heights, NY.
School address
District: New York City Geographic District #30 · New York
NCES ID 360010206186 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.1:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
84.4%
vs 56.2% New York avg
+50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ps 280 Home of the Lionhearts compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ps 280 Home of the Lionhearts
Ps 280 Home of the Lionhearts is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Jackson Heights, New York, enrolling 447 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 12.1:1 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 84.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 447 students, its enrollment sits close to the New York median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 4,801 scored New York schools.
Against 983 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #599.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 25/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 40.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
New York City Geographic District #30 also operates William Cullen Bryant High School (1,996 students) and Long Island City High School (1,639 students) alongside Ps 280 Home of the Lionhearts.
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 280 Home of the Lionhearts compares
Ps 280 Home of the Lionhearts 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 | 12.1:1 | ▲ 3% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 84.4% | ▲ 50% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 447 | top 46% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.1:1
Leaner classes than 75% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
447
Bigger than 54% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
84.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 50% 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
12.1:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 61% in New York - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
40.9%
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 86.4%
Asian 6.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 4.0%
White 2.2%
African American 1.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 86.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 24.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 24.8, Ps 280 Home of the Lionhearts is less mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
How Ps 280 Home of the Lionhearts Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Cullen Bryant High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Long Island City High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Is 227 Louis Armstrong | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Is 145 Joseph Pulitzer | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Academy of American Studies | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ps 280 Home of the Lionhearts's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,996
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 1,639
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,555
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,397
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,206
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
Similar elementary 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 (~447 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ps 280 Home of the Lionhearts's federal record.
- Compare Ps 280 Home of the Lionhearts against another school. Compare schools
- New York City Geographic District #30'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 280 Home of the Lionhearts
How many students attend Ps 280 Home of the Lionhearts?
Ps 280 Home of the Lionhearts has 447 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Jackson Heights, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ps 280 Home of the Lionhearts?
The student-teacher ratio at Ps 280 Home of the Lionhearts is 12.1:1, which is 3% higher than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 23% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ps 280 Home of the Lionhearts?
84.4% of students at Ps 280 Home of the Lionhearts are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ps 280 Home of the Lionhearts?
The largest demographic group at Ps 280 Home of the Lionhearts is Hispanic or Latino at 86.4% of enrollment, in Jackson Heights, NY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ps 280 Home of the Lionhearts?
Ps 280 Home of the Lionhearts 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 280 Home of the Lionhearts rank among public schools in Jackson Heights?
By Resource Investment Index, Ps 280 Home of the Lionhearts ranks #5 of 8 public schools in Jackson Heights, NY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Jackson Heights on the city page.
Is Ps 280 Home of the Lionhearts a good school?
Ps 280 Home of the Lionhearts 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 #30?
Besides Ps 280 Home of the Lionhearts, New York City Geographic District #30 also operates William Cullen Bryant High School (1,996 students), Long Island City High School (1,639 students), and Is 227 Louis Armstrong (1,555 students). See the New York City Geographic District #30 district page for the complete list.
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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.