Enrollment
715
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Bronx, NY
Ps 81 Robert J Christen
Federal NCES profile for Ps 81 Robert J Christen, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 360008702318
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 29
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ps 81 Robert J Christen earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of New York schools.
- #27 of 86
- elementary schools in Bronx · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.2:1
- large classes for New York
- 42.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Ps 81 Robert J Christen has class sizes larger than 88% of New York schools. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ps 81 Robert J Christen ranks #27 of 86 elementary schools in Bronx, NY.
School address
District: New York City Geographic District #10 · New York
NCES ID 360008702318 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
47.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.2:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
+29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.1%
vs 56.2% New York avg
-25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ps 81 Robert J Christen compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ps 81 Robert J Christen
Ps 81 Robert J Christen is a mid-sized elementary school in Bronx, New York, enrolling 715 students.
Class loads run heavy: 15.2:1 is larger than about 88% of New York schools and 29% above the 11.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 42.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 715 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 580 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #372.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (48%) and White (33%) (diversity index 65/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
New York City Geographic District #10 also operates Bronx High School of Science (the) (2,953 students) and Riverdale/Kingsbridge Academy (Ms/Hs 141) (1,383 students) alongside Ps 81 Robert J Christen.
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 81 Robert J Christen compares
Ps 81 Robert J Christen 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 | 15.2:1 | ▲ 29% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 42.1% | ▼ 25% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 715 | top 18% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.2:1
Leaner classes than 45% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
715
Bigger than 81% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
42.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 25% 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
15.2:1
students per teacher
- 29% above state mean
Top 88% in New York - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
28.5%
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 47.7%
White 33.3%
African American 7.4%
Asian 5.5%
Two or More 5.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 47.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.0, Ps 81 Robert J Christen is more mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
How Ps 81 Robert J Christen Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bronx High School of Science (the) | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Riverdale/Kingsbridge Academy (Ms/Hs 141) | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Dewitt Clinton High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ps 86 Kingsbridge Heights | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| In-Tech Academy (Ms/Hs 368) | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ps 81 Robert J Christen's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,953
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,383
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,212
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 1,091
- Students per teacher
- 10.6:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 953
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
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 (~715 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ps 81 Robert J Christen's federal record.
- Compare Ps 81 Robert J Christen against another school. Compare schools
- New York City Geographic District #10'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 81 Robert J Christen
How many students attend Ps 81 Robert J Christen?
Ps 81 Robert J Christen has 715 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Bronx, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ps 81 Robert J Christen?
The student-teacher ratio at Ps 81 Robert J Christen is 15.2:1, which is 29% higher than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ps 81 Robert J Christen?
42.1% of students at Ps 81 Robert J Christen are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ps 81 Robert J Christen?
The largest demographic group at Ps 81 Robert J Christen is Hispanic or Latino at 47.7% of enrollment, in Bronx, NY. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ps 81 Robert J Christen?
Ps 81 Robert J Christen has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (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 81 Robert J Christen rank among elementary schools in Bronx?
By Resource Investment Index, Ps 81 Robert J Christen ranks #27 of 86 elementary 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 elementary schools in Bronx on the city page.
Is Ps 81 Robert J Christen a good school?
Ps 81 Robert J Christen earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% 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 #10?
Besides Ps 81 Robert J Christen, New York City Geographic District #10 also operates Bronx High School of Science (the) (2,953 students), Riverdale/Kingsbridge Academy (Ms/Hs 141) (1,383 students), and Dewitt Clinton High School (1,212 students). See the New York City Geographic District #10 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.