Enrollment
689
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Jamaica, NY
Ps 86
Federal NCES profile for Ps 86, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 19/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 360010002333
👥 S:T ratio 26
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ps 86 earns 19/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of New York schools.
- #21 of 24
- schools in Jamaica · Resource Index
- 19
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.6:1
- large classes for New York
- 77.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Ps 86 has class sizes larger than 97% of New York schools. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ps 86 ranks #21 of 24 schools in Jamaica, NY.
School address
District: New York City Geographic District #28 · New York
NCES ID 360010002333 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.6:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
+58% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
77.0%
vs 56.2% New York avg
+37% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ps 86 compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ps 86
Ps 86 is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Jamaica, New York, enrolling 689 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.6:1 is larger than about 97% of New York schools and 58% above the 11.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 77.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 689 puts it in the larger third of New York schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 99% of the 4,801 New York schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 728 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New York schools statewide, it ranks #707, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Asian (54%) and Hispanic or Latino (35%) (diversity index 58/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 48.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
New York City Geographic District #28 also operates Forest Hills High School (3,394 students) and Hillcrest High School (2,298 students) alongside Ps 86.
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 86 compares
Ps 86 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 | 18.6:1 | ▲ 58% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 77.0% | ▲ 37% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 689 | top 19% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.6:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
689
Bigger than 79% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
77.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 37% above 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
18.6:1
students per teacher
- 58% above state mean
Top 97% in New York - lower ratio than 3% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
48.3%
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
Asian 54.4%
Hispanic or Latino 35.3%
African American 5.2%
White 2.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.0%
Two or More 0.3%
Largest group: Asian at 54.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.6, Ps 86 is more mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
How Ps 86 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Hills High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hillcrest High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Thomas a Edison Career and Technical Education High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Jhs 157 Stephen a Halsey | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Jhs 217 Robert a Van Wyck | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ps 86's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,394
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 2,298
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 2,146
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,611
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,265
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
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 (~689 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ps 86's federal record.
- Compare Ps 86 against another school. Compare schools
- New York City Geographic District #28'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 86
How many students attend Ps 86?
Ps 86 has 689 students enrolled. It is a public school in Jamaica, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ps 86?
The student-teacher ratio at Ps 86 is 18.6:1, which is 58% higher than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 18% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ps 86?
77.0% of students at Ps 86 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ps 86?
The largest demographic group at Ps 86 is Asian at 54.4% of enrollment, in Jamaica, NY. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ps 86?
Ps 86 has a Resource Investment Index of 19/100 (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 86 rank among schools in Jamaica?
By Resource Investment Index, Ps 86 ranks #21 of 24 schools in Jamaica, NY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Jamaica on the city page.
Is Ps 86 a good school?
Ps 86 earns 19/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% 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 #28?
Besides Ps 86, New York City Geographic District #28 also operates Forest Hills High School (3,394 students), Hillcrest High School (2,298 students), and Thomas a Edison Career and Technical Education High School (2,146 students). See the New York City Geographic District #28 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.