Enrollment
550
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Brooklyn, NY
Ps 503 School of Discovery (the)
Federal NCES profile for Ps 503 School of Discovery (the), including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 360015105908
👥 S:T ratio 71
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ps 503 School of Discovery (the) earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 94% of New York schools.
- #44 of 95
- elementary schools in Brooklyn · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 7.2:1
- small classes for New York
- 92.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Ps 503 School of Discovery (the) has class sizes smaller than 94% of New York schools. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ps 503 School of Discovery (the) ranks #44 of 95 elementary schools in Brooklyn, NY.
School address
District: New York City Geographic District #20 · New York
NCES ID 360015105908 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
76.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
7.2:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
-39% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
92.1%
vs 56.2% New York avg
+64% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ps 503 School of Discovery (the) compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ps 503 School of Discovery (the)
Ps 503 School of Discovery (the) is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Brooklyn, New York, enrolling 550 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 7.2:1, Ps 503 School of Discovery (the) is leaner than roughly 94% of New York schools and 39% under the state's 11.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 92.1% of students qualify for free meals, 64% above the New York average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 550 puts it in the larger third of New York schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 4,801 scored New York schools.
Against 716 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #136.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (76%) and Asian (14%) (diversity index 39/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 53.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
New York City Geographic District #20 also operates Fort Hamilton High School (4,044 students) and Franklin Delano Roosevelt High School (3,403 students) alongside Ps 503 School of Discovery (the).
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 503 School of Discovery (the) compares
Ps 503 School of Discovery (the) 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 | 7.2:1 | ▼ 39% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 92.1% | ▲ 64% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 550 | top 32% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
7.2:1
Leaner classes than 96% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
550
Bigger than 68% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
92.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 64% 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
7.2:1
students per teacher
- 39% below state mean
Top 6% in New York - lower ratio than 94% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
53.8%
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 76.2%
Asian 14.4%
White 8.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Two or More 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 76.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 39.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 39.2, Ps 503 School of Discovery (the) is less mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
How Ps 503 School of Discovery (the) Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Hamilton High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Franklin Delano Roosevelt High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| New Utrecht High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jhs 259 William Mckinley | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Madeleine Brennan School (the) | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ps 503 School of Discovery (the)'s own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 4,044
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 3,403
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 3,236
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,780
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,518
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
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 (~550 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ps 503 School of Discovery (the)'s federal record.
- Compare Ps 503 School of Discovery (the) against another school. Compare schools
- New York City Geographic District #20'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 503 School of Discovery (the)
How many students attend Ps 503 School of Discovery (the)?
Ps 503 School of Discovery (the) has 550 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Brooklyn, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ps 503 School of Discovery (the)?
The student-teacher ratio at Ps 503 School of Discovery (the) is 7.2:1, which is 39% lower than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 54% 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 503 School of Discovery (the)?
92.1% of students at Ps 503 School of Discovery (the) are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ps 503 School of Discovery (the)?
The largest demographic group at Ps 503 School of Discovery (the) is Hispanic or Latino at 76.2% of enrollment, in Brooklyn, NY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ps 503 School of Discovery (the)?
Ps 503 School of Discovery (the) has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 503 School of Discovery (the) rank among elementary schools in Brooklyn?
By Resource Investment Index, Ps 503 School of Discovery (the) ranks #44 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 503 School of Discovery (the) a good school?
Ps 503 School of Discovery (the) earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 94% 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 #20?
Besides Ps 503 School of Discovery (the), New York City Geographic District #20 also operates Fort Hamilton High School (4,044 students), Franklin Delano Roosevelt High School (3,403 students), and New Utrecht High School (3,236 students). See the New York City Geographic District #20 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.