Enrollment
1,088
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Whitestone, NY
Ps 79 Francis Lewis
Federal NCES profile for Ps 79 Francis Lewis, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 360012202314
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ps 79 Francis Lewis earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of New York schools.
- #2 of 4
- schools in Whitestone · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17:1
- large classes for New York
- 55.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Ps 79 Francis Lewis has class sizes larger than 94% of New York schools. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ps 79 Francis Lewis ranks #2 of 4 schools in Whitestone, NY.
School address
District: New York City Geographic District #25 · New York
NCES ID 360012202314 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
64.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
+44% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
55.9%
vs 56.2% New York avg
-1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ps 79 Francis Lewis compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ps 79 Francis Lewis
Ps 79 Francis Lewis is a higher-need, large combined-grade school in Whitestone, New York, enrolling 1,088 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17:1 is larger than about 94% of New York schools and 44% above the 11.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 55.9% lands close to the New York typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in New York, bigger than 93% of state schools at 1,088 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 4,801 scored New York schools.
Against 264 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #37.
Its student body is led by Asian (61%) and Hispanic or Latino (22%) (diversity index 56/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
New York City Geographic District #25 also operates John Bowne High School (2,778 students) and Flushing High School (1,650 students) alongside Ps 79 Francis Lewis.
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 79 Francis Lewis compares
Ps 79 Francis Lewis 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 | 17:1 | ▲ 44% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 55.9% | ▼ 1% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,088 | top 7% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17:1
Leaner classes than 30% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,088
Bigger than 93% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
55.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 1% below 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
17:1
students per teacher
- 44% above state mean
Top 94% in New York - lower ratio than 6% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
18.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
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
Asian 61.3%
Hispanic or Latino 21.7%
White 14.2%
African American 1.7%
Two or More 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Asian at 61.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.7, Ps 79 Francis Lewis is more mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
How Ps 79 Francis Lewis Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Bowne High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Flushing High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Jhs 185 Edward Bleeker | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Townsend Harris High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Is 237 | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ps 79 Francis Lewis's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,778
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 1,650
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 14/100
- Enrollment
- 1,516
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,342
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 1,313
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
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 (~1,088 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ps 79 Francis Lewis's federal record.
- Compare Ps 79 Francis Lewis against another school. Compare schools
- New York City Geographic District #25'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 79 Francis Lewis
How many students attend Ps 79 Francis Lewis?
Ps 79 Francis Lewis has 1,088 students enrolled. It is a public school in Whitestone, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ps 79 Francis Lewis?
The student-teacher ratio at Ps 79 Francis Lewis is 17:1, which is 44% higher than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 8% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ps 79 Francis Lewis?
55.9% of students at Ps 79 Francis Lewis are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ps 79 Francis Lewis?
The largest demographic group at Ps 79 Francis Lewis is Asian at 61.3% of enrollment, in Whitestone, NY. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ps 79 Francis Lewis?
Ps 79 Francis Lewis has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 79 Francis Lewis rank among schools in Whitestone?
By Resource Investment Index, Ps 79 Francis Lewis ranks #2 of 4 schools in Whitestone, NY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Whitestone on the city page.
Is Ps 79 Francis Lewis a good school?
Ps 79 Francis Lewis earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger 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 #25?
Besides Ps 79 Francis Lewis, New York City Geographic District #25 also operates John Bowne High School (2,778 students), Flushing High School (1,650 students), and Jhs 185 Edward Bleeker (1,516 students). See the New York City Geographic District #25 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.