Enrollment
1,305
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Brooklyn, NY
Ps 321 William Penn
Federal NCES profile for Ps 321 William Penn, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 360009202818
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 72
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ps 321 William Penn earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of New York schools. It is also one of the largest schools in New York.
- #11 of 95
- elementary schools in Brooklyn · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.3:1
- large classes for New York
- 6.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Ps 321 William Penn has class sizes larger than 92% of New York schools. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ps 321 William Penn ranks #11 of 95 elementary schools in Brooklyn, NY.
School address
District: New York City Geographic District #15 · New York
NCES ID 360009202818 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
80.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.3:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
+38% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
6.2%
vs 56.2% New York avg
-89% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ps 321 William Penn compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ps 321 William Penn
Ps 321 William Penn is a lower-poverty, large elementary school in Brooklyn, New York, enrolling 1,305 students.
Class loads run heavy: 16.3:1 is larger than about 92% of New York schools and 38% above the 11.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 6.2% free-meal eligibility runs 89% below the New York average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in New York, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,305 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 4,801 scored New York schools.
Against 94 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #38.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and Two or More (14%) (diversity index 54/100).
11.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
New York City Geographic District #15 also operates Sunset Park High School (1,348 students) and Ms 51 William Alexander (1,038 students) alongside Ps 321 William Penn.
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 321 William Penn compares
Ps 321 William Penn 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 | 16.3:1 | ▲ 38% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 6.2% | ▼ 89% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,305 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.3:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,305
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
6.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 89% below the New York average of 56.2%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.3:1
students per teacher
- 38% above state mean
Top 92% in New York - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
11.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
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
White 65.2%
Two or More 13.5%
Hispanic or Latino 9.7%
Asian 8.8%
African American 2.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 65.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.9, Ps 321 William Penn is more mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
How Ps 321 William Penn Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunset Park High School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ms 51 William Alexander | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ps 230 Doris L Cohen | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ps 130 Parkside (the) | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Brooklyn High School of the Arts | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ps 321 William Penn's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,348
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,038
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 925
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 891
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 890
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
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 (~1,305 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ps 321 William Penn's federal record.
- Compare Ps 321 William Penn against another school. Compare schools
- New York City Geographic District #15'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 321 William Penn
How many students attend Ps 321 William Penn?
Ps 321 William Penn has 1,305 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Brooklyn, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ps 321 William Penn?
The student-teacher ratio at Ps 321 William Penn is 16.3:1, which is 38% higher than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 4% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ps 321 William Penn?
6.2% of students at Ps 321 William Penn are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ps 321 William Penn?
The largest demographic group at Ps 321 William Penn is White at 65.2% of enrollment, in Brooklyn, NY. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ps 321 William Penn?
Ps 321 William Penn has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 321 William Penn rank among elementary schools in Brooklyn?
By Resource Investment Index, Ps 321 William Penn ranks #11 of 95 elementary 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 elementary schools in Brooklyn on the city page.
Is Ps 321 William Penn a good school?
Ps 321 William Penn earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of New York schools. It is also one of the largest schools in New York. 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 #15?
Besides Ps 321 William Penn, New York City Geographic District #15 also operates Sunset Park High School (1,348 students), Ms 51 William Alexander (1,038 students), and Ps 230 Doris L Cohen (925 students). See the New York City Geographic District #15 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.