Enrollment
305
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · New York, NY
Special Music School
Federal NCES profile for Special Music School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 360007806115
👥 S:T ratio 55
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 48
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Special Music School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New York median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most New York schools.
- #15 of 164
- schools in New York · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.3:1
- students per teacher
- 21.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Special Music School has class sizes near the New York median. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Special Music School ranks #15 of 164 schools in New York, NY.
School address
District: New York City Geographic District # 3 · New York
NCES ID 360007806115 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.3:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
21.7%
vs 56.2% New York avg
-61% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Special Music School compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at Special Music School
Special Music School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in New York, New York, enrolling 305 students.
At 11.3:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the New York median, within a few percentage points of the 11.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 21.7% free-meal eligibility runs 61% below the New York average.
Enrollment of 305 puts it in the smaller third of New York schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 4,801 scored New York schools.
Against 456 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #117.
Its student body is led by White (38%) and Asian (20%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 75/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
New York City Geographic District # 3 also operates Fiorello H Laguardia High School (2,251 students) and Beacon High School (1,372 students) alongside Special Music School.
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 Special Music School compares
Special Music School 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 | 11.3:1 | ▼ 4% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 21.7% | ▼ 61% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 305 | top 74% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.3:1
Leaner classes than 81% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
305
Bigger than 33% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
21.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 61% below the New York average of 56.2%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
11.3:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 49% in New York - lower ratio than 51% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
21.0%
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
White 38.4%
Asian 19.7%
Two or More 19.7%
Hispanic or Latino 16.1%
African American 5.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
Largest group: White at 38.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 74.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 74.6, Special Music School is more mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
How Special Music School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fiorello H Laguardia High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Beacon High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ps 87 William Sherman | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West End Secondary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Jhs 54 Booker T Washington | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Special Music School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,251
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 1,372
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 751
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 722
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 720
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
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 (~305 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Special Music School's federal record.
- Compare Special Music School against another school. Compare schools
- New York City Geographic District # 3'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 Special Music School
How many students attend Special Music School?
Special Music School has 305 students enrolled. It is a public school in New York, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Special Music School?
The student-teacher ratio at Special Music School is 11.3:1, which is 4% lower than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 28% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Special Music School?
21.7% of students at Special Music School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Special Music School?
The largest demographic group at Special Music School is White at 38.4% of enrollment, in New York, NY. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 74.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Special Music School?
Special Music School has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Special Music School rank among schools in New York?
By Resource Investment Index, Special Music School ranks #15 of 164 schools in New York, NY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in New York on the city page.
Is Special Music School a good school?
Special Music School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New York median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 # 3?
Besides Special Music School, New York City Geographic District # 3 also operates Fiorello H Laguardia High School (2,251 students), Beacon High School (1,372 students), and Ps 87 William Sherman (751 students). See the New York City Geographic District # 3 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.