Enrollment
464
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · South Ozone Park, NY
Ps 45 Clarence Witherspoon
Federal NCES profile for Ps 45 Clarence Witherspoon, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 10/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 360012302198
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ps 45 Clarence Witherspoon earns 10/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of New York schools.
- #7 of 7
- schools in South Ozone Park · Resource Index
- 10
- Resource Index · Lower
- 25.8:1
- large classes for New York
- 80.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Ps 45 Clarence Witherspoon has class sizes larger than 99% of New York schools. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ps 45 Clarence Witherspoon ranks #7 of 7 schools in South Ozone Park, NY.
School address
District: New York City Geographic District #27 · New York
NCES ID 360012302198 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.8:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
+119% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
80.4%
vs 56.2% New York avg
+43% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ps 45 Clarence Witherspoon compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ps 45 Clarence Witherspoon
Ps 45 Clarence Witherspoon is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in South Ozone Park, New York, enrolling 464 students.
Class loads run heavy: 25.8:1 is larger than about 99% of New York schools and 119% above the 11.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 80.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 464 students, its enrollment sits close to the New York median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 100% of the 4,801 New York schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 983 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New York schools statewide, it ranks #978, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (57%) and African American (31%) (diversity index 58/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
New York City Geographic District #27 also operates John Adams High School (2,400 students) and Richmond Hill High School (1,841 students) alongside Ps 45 Clarence Witherspoon.
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 45 Clarence Witherspoon compares
Ps 45 Clarence Witherspoon 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 | 25.8:1 | ▲ 119% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 80.4% | ▲ 43% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 464 | top 43% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.8:1
Leaner classes than 4% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
464
Bigger than 57% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
80.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 43% 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
25.8:1
students per teacher
- 119% above state mean
Top 99% in New York - lower ratio than 1% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
42.9%
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 56.9%
African American 31.0%
Asian 5.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 4.7%
Two or More 1.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
White 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 56.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.5, Ps 45 Clarence Witherspoon is more mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
How Ps 45 Clarence Witherspoon Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Adams High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Richmond Hill High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ms 137 America's School of Heroes | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Jhs 210 Elizabeth Blackwell | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Scholars' Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ps 45 Clarence Witherspoon's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,400
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,841
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 1,610
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 1,459
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 1,184
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
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 (~464 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~25.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ps 45 Clarence Witherspoon's federal record.
- Compare Ps 45 Clarence Witherspoon against another school. Compare schools
- New York City Geographic District #27'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 45 Clarence Witherspoon
How many students attend Ps 45 Clarence Witherspoon?
Ps 45 Clarence Witherspoon has 464 students enrolled. It is a public school in South Ozone Park, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ps 45 Clarence Witherspoon?
The student-teacher ratio at Ps 45 Clarence Witherspoon is 25.8:1, which is 119% higher than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 64% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ps 45 Clarence Witherspoon?
80.4% of students at Ps 45 Clarence Witherspoon are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ps 45 Clarence Witherspoon?
The largest demographic group at Ps 45 Clarence Witherspoon is Hispanic or Latino at 56.9% of enrollment, in South Ozone Park, NY. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ps 45 Clarence Witherspoon?
Ps 45 Clarence Witherspoon has a Resource Investment Index of 10/100 (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 45 Clarence Witherspoon rank among schools in South Ozone Park?
By Resource Investment Index, Ps 45 Clarence Witherspoon ranks #7 of 7 schools in South Ozone Park, NY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in South Ozone Park on the city page.
Is Ps 45 Clarence Witherspoon a good school?
Ps 45 Clarence Witherspoon earns 10/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of New York schools. 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 #27?
Besides Ps 45 Clarence Witherspoon, New York City Geographic District #27 also operates John Adams High School (2,400 students), Richmond Hill High School (1,841 students), and Ms 137 America's School of Heroes (1,610 students). See the New York City Geographic District #27 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.