PS 256

PS 256 is one of the mid-sized multi-level schools in SYOSSET, New York, one of the schools within NYC SPECIAL SCHOOLS - DISTRICT 75, with 543 students on its rolls from grades pre-K through 12.

NYC SPECIAL SCHOOLS - DISTRICT 75 runs 60 schools in total, collectively educating 27,533 students. PS 256 is one of those campuses.

In terms of who attends, PS 256 reports that the most-represented group is Black (50%), with the rest of the student body spread across multiple groups. The remainder consists of 32% Hispanic, 10% White, 5% Asian. That is visibly more Black than the county at large, where the share is closer to 11%.

On the resource side, Staff filings list 115 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 4.7:1 students per teacher. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 8.7:1, putting PS 256 tighter than the state norm the norm. Roughly 89% of students at PS 256 qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. Set against Nassau County (around 31%), the school's rate is somewhat above typical.

In the area at large, Nassau County reports that the typical household earns roughly $146,202 per year, roughly 50% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 4%. PS 256 is one of 315 public schools in Nassau County (combined enrollment of about 200,775 students).

The closest other public school is VILLAGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, roughly 0.4 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around PS 256.

The campus sits in a residential setting.

Trend over the last 7 years. Over the past 7-year window, the student count increased 22%: 444 students in 2018 compared to 543 in 2025. Hispanic enrollment moved from 27% to 32% across the same window.

On this page, posts here usually surface around classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.