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 26/100.

2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 360010206186
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Compiled from official source data by .
0/100100/10026/100
👥 S:T ratio
52
📋 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 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New York median.

#5 of 8
public schools in Jackson Heights · Resource Index
26
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

Jackson Heights, NY 11372
District: New York City Geographic District #30 · New York

NCES ID 360010206186 Verify on NCES CCD record →

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

-21 students YoY

Ps 280 Home of the Lionhearts held near 452 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-21 headcount).

Teacher FTE added 37.0 → 39.1 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Steady CCD campus

-21 students YoY 360010206186 · Jackson Heights, NY Elementary · SMALL · TRAD

447 enr · 12.1:1 · 84.4% lunch · RII 26

Nearest enrollment peer: William Cullen Bryant High School (1,996 students)

Ps 280 Home of the Lionhearts held near 452 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-21 headcount). Teacher FTE added 37.0 → 39.1 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · New York schools → · Find another →

Ps 280 Home of the Lionhearts in the enrollment neighbourhood

Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers

students

What this shows Ps 280 Home of the Lionhearts reports 447 students on the CCD universe file.

Source U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data (Public School Universe) As of 2024-25

How Ps 280 Home of the Lionhearts compares

Ps 280 Home of the Lionhearts held steady on CCD headcount: ratios and free-lunch share vs 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 methodology

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.

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

New York City Geographic District #30 · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Nationwide elementary schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

Similar enrollment (~447 students)

Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.1:1)

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. CCD year-over-year: 473 (2022-23) → 452 (2023-24), nearly flat (-21).

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 26/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.

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.

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.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2022-23) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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Compiled from official source data by .