Enrollment
644
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 360010303394
Ps 56 Louis Desario School (the) — Staten Island, NY
Federal NCES profile for Ps 56 Louis Desario School (the), including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 32/100.
👥 Class size 43
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 24
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: New York City Geographic District #31 · New York
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
45.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.2:1
vs 11.7:1 New York avg
+21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.4%
vs 56.2% New York avg
-39% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ps 56 Louis Desario School (the) compares with New York and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Ps 56 Louis Desario School (the) reports 644 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 45.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.2:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 21% above the New York state mean of 11.7:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 11% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 34.4% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 39% below the New York average and 34% below the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 30.3% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (F), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Ps 56 Louis Desario School (the) compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against New York state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs New York | New York avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.2:1 | ▲ 21% | 11.7:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.4% | ▼ 39% | 56.2% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 644 | top 78% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
34.4%
free-lunch eligible
— 39% below the New York average of 56.2%
Below the 40% Title I threshold — federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.2:1
students per teacher
— 21% above state mean
Top 84% in New York — lower ratio than 16% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
30.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Overview
Enrollment 644 Top 78% in New York — larger than 22% of 4,812 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 45.0
Students per teacher 14.2:1 +21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 34.4% -39% vs state
NCES ID 360010303394
Student demographics
White 66.0%
Asian 16.9%
Hispanic or Latino 13.7%
Two or More 1.6%
African American 1.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 66.0% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 30.3%
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,750
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Enrollment
- 3,055
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Enrollment
- 2,743
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Enrollment
- 2,439
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Enrollment
- 1,696
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
Similar other schools in Staten Island
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Michael J Petrides School (the)
Standard public school
1,423 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Ps 42 Eltingville
Standard public school
995 students 16:1 students per teacher
Ps 48 William G Wilcox
Standard public school
964 students 12.4:1 students per teacher
John W Lavelle Preparatory Charter School
Standard public school
884 students 8.4:1 students per teacher
Ps 36 J C Drumgoole
Standard public school
866 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
Ps 4 Maurice Wollin
Standard public school
862 students 10.5:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Ps 56 Louis Desario School (the)
How many students attend Ps 56 Louis Desario School (the)?
Ps 56 Louis Desario School (the) has 644 students enrolled. It is a other school in STATEN ISLAND, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ps 56 Louis Desario School (the)?
The student-teacher ratio at Ps 56 Louis Desario School (the) is 14.2:1, which is 21% higher than the New York average of 11.7:1 and 11% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ps 56 Louis Desario School (the)?
34.4% of students at Ps 56 Louis Desario School (the) are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ps 56 Louis Desario School (the)?
The largest demographic group at Ps 56 Louis Desario School (the) is White at 66.0%. The school serves a diverse student body in STATEN ISLAND, NY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ps 56 Louis Desario School (the)?
Ps 56 Louis Desario School (the) has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.