Enrollment
495
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Bronx, NY
Ps 55 Benjamin Franklin
Federal NCES profile for Ps 55 Benjamin Franklin, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 23/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 360008602238
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ps 55 Benjamin Franklin earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of New York schools.
- #166 of 184
- schools in Bronx · Resource Index
- 23
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15:1
- large classes for New York
- 95.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Ps 55 Benjamin Franklin has class sizes larger than 86% of New York schools. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ps 55 Benjamin Franklin ranks #166 of 184 schools in Bronx, NY.
School address
District: New York City Geographic District # 9 · New York
NCES ID 360008602238 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
+27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
95.9%
vs 56.2% New York avg
+71% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ps 55 Benjamin Franklin compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ps 55 Benjamin Franklin
Ps 55 Benjamin Franklin is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Bronx, New York, enrolling 495 students.
Class loads run heavy: 15:1 is larger than about 86% of New York schools and 27% above the 11.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 95.9% of students qualify for free meals, 71% above the New York average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 495 students, its enrollment sits close to the New York median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 96% of the 4,801 New York schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 632 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New York schools statewide, it ranks #570, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (56%) and African American (41%) (diversity index 52/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 70.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
New York City Geographic District # 9 also operates Ps/is 218 Rafael Hernandez Dual Language Magnet School (807 students) and Ps 70 Max Schoenfeld (729 students) alongside Ps 55 Benjamin Franklin.
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 55 Benjamin Franklin compares
Ps 55 Benjamin Franklin 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 | 15:1 | ▲ 27% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 95.9% | ▲ 71% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 495 | top 39% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15:1
Leaner classes than 47% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
495
Bigger than 61% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
95.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 71% 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
15:1
students per teacher
- 27% above state mean
Top 86% in New York - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
70.5%
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 56.1%
African American 41.1%
White 1.4%
Asian 0.6%
Two or More 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 56.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.6, Ps 55 Benjamin Franklin is more mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
How Ps 55 Benjamin Franklin Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ps/is 218 Rafael Hernandez Dual Language Magnet School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ps 70 Max Schoenfeld | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bronx School for Law Government and Justice | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Comprehensive Model School Project Ms 327 | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ps 53 Basheer Quisim | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ps 55 Benjamin Franklin's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 807
- Students per teacher
- 10.6:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 729
- Students per teacher
- 11.2:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 683
- Students per teacher
- 11.2:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 670
- Students per teacher
- 11.4:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 600
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
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 (~495 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ps 55 Benjamin Franklin's federal record.
- Compare Ps 55 Benjamin Franklin against another school. Compare schools
- New York City Geographic District # 9'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 55 Benjamin Franklin
How many students attend Ps 55 Benjamin Franklin?
Ps 55 Benjamin Franklin has 495 students enrolled. It is a public school in Bronx, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ps 55 Benjamin Franklin?
The student-teacher ratio at Ps 55 Benjamin Franklin is 15:1, which is 27% higher than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 4% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ps 55 Benjamin Franklin?
95.9% of students at Ps 55 Benjamin Franklin are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ps 55 Benjamin Franklin?
The largest demographic group at Ps 55 Benjamin Franklin is Hispanic or Latino at 56.1% of enrollment, in Bronx, NY. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ps 55 Benjamin Franklin?
Ps 55 Benjamin Franklin has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (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 55 Benjamin Franklin rank among schools in Bronx?
By Resource Investment Index, Ps 55 Benjamin Franklin ranks #166 of 184 schools in Bronx, NY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Bronx on the city page.
Is Ps 55 Benjamin Franklin a good school?
Ps 55 Benjamin Franklin earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% 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 # 9?
Besides Ps 55 Benjamin Franklin, New York City Geographic District # 9 also operates Ps/is 218 Rafael Hernandez Dual Language Magnet School (807 students), Ps 70 Max Schoenfeld (729 students), and Bronx School for Law Government and Justice (683 students). See the New York City Geographic District # 9 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.