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What's the most underrated thing about PS 256 that outsiders don't know?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
543
Combined
DISTRICT 481 · STATE 544
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·NYC SPECIAL SCHOOLS - DISTRICT 75·NCES 360013504817
PS 256
525 CONVENT RD, SYOSSET, NY 11791 · (516) 921-0450 · Nassau County
GRADES PK–12COMBINED21-SUBURBTITLE ISPECIAL EDUCATION SCHOOL543 STUDENTS
·
allk12 Grade
Not graded
Schools serving specialized populations are not graded, because state test results are not a fair comparison for them. How grades work
Student : Teacher
4.7:1
115 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 5.0:1 · STATE 8.7:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
89%
483 students
DISTRICT 90% · STATE 58%
Community
1
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other combined schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 8 | 1% |
| Kindergarten | 28 | 5% |
| Grade 1 | 41 | 8% |
| Grade 2 | 40 | 7% |
| Grade 3 | 19 | 3% |
| Grade 4 | 20 | 4% |
| Grade 5 | 24 | 4% |
| Grade 6 | 14 | 3% |
| Grade 7 | 10 | 2% |
| Grade 8 | 9 | 2% |
| Grade 9 | 48 | 9% |
| Grade 10 | 33 | 6% |
| Grade 11 | 16 | 3% |
| Grade 12 | 18 | 3% |
| Ungraded | 215 | 40% |
Student demographics
64%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 70% · STATE 72% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
BeatsExpectations
Not computed for this schoolBeatsExpectations is not computed for specialized-population schools (schools for the deaf or blind, therapeutic and behavioral-health placements, juvenile-justice and alternative-education settings, and similar). State ELA/Math proficiency rates are not a comparable metric for these populations, so a demographically-adjusted residual against general-enrollment peers would be misleading. About the methodology →
Where PS 256 ranks
Among K-12 schools| Measure | This school | In New York |
|---|---|---|
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 543 | #43 of 192 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 4.7:1 | #36 of 146 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 64.2% | #31 of 152 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 89.0% | #29 of 136 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +22.3% | #23 of 59 |
Ranked against other public K-12 schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
543
+30 (+6%) vs 2020
+18% since 2010-11, when it was 461
Student : Teacher
4.7:1
was 4.1:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 543 | 114.5 | 4.7:1 | 89% (483) |
| 2023-24 | 538 | 118.2 | 4.5:1 | 90% (482) |
| 2022-23 | 500 | 106 | 4.7:1 | 85% (425) |
| 2020-21 | 513 | 125 | 4.1:1 | 87% (444) |
| 2017-18 | 444 | 110 | 4.0:1 | 88% (392) |
| 2015-16 | 440 | 98 | 4.5:1 | 65% (284) |
| 2010-11 | 461 | 95 | 4.8:1 | 56% (260) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for PS 256.
About PS 256
PS 256, located in SYOSSET, New York, is a medium-sized combined-grade school. School enrollment was 543 students in 2024-25, in pre-K through 12.
NYC SPECIAL SCHOOLS - DISTRICT 75 enrolls 27,533 students in 60 schools, including PS 256.
Black students are the largest group at PS 256, with 50% of enrollment. Other reported shares: 32% Hispanic, 10% White, and 5% Asian. Nassau County's residents are about 11% Black, 38 points below the school's share. PS 256 has a diversity index of 64%, compared with 70% for all US public school students.
The count of teachers at PS 256 is 114.5 full-time equivalents, for a ratio of 4.7:1. The average ratio among combined schools in New York is 8.7:1, higher than at this school. Around 89% of the school's students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. It compares with 31% for public schools in Nassau County.
According to the American Community Survey, in Nassau County, median household income is about $146,202, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 50% of adults, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 4%. PS 256 is one of 315 public schools in Nassau County, which together enroll about 200,775 students.
Nearest public school: VILLAGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, about 0.4 miles away. Other public schools within five miles: at least 8.
Under the NCES locale system, PS 256 is Suburb: Large.
Between 2020-21 and 2024-25, the student count climbed from 513 to 543.
If you have questions about science fairs, picture day, and bus routes at PS 256, you can post them here. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.
Nassau County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
1,389,591
Census ACS
Median income
$146,202
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
50%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
4%
Below federal line
Schools in county
315
200,775 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in NYC SPECIAL SCHOOLS - DISTRICT 75
- RIVERVIEW SCHOOL (THE)Combined · 820 students
- PS 373Elementary · 710 students
- PS 17Combined · 692 students
- PS 186 WALTER J DAMROSCH SCHOOLElementary · 681 students
- PS 138Combined · 670 students
- PS 811High · 636 students
Other schools in SYOSSET
- SYOSSET SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 2,400 students
- H B THOMPSON MIDDLE SCHOOLMiddle · 951 students
- SOUTH WOODS MIDDLE SCHOOLMiddle · 802 students
- ROBBINS LANE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLElementary · 460 students
- BERRY HILL ELEMENTARY SCHOOLElementary · 450 students
- SOUTH GROVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLElementary · 433 students
Nearby schools
- VILLAGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL0.4 mi · 379
- SYOSSET SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL0.6 mi · 2,400
- SOUTH WOODS MIDDLE SCHOOL0.7 mi · 802
- BERRY HILL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL0.9 mi · 450
- H B THOMPSON MIDDLE SCHOOL1.2 mi · 951
- WALT WHITMAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL1.2 mi · 391
Frequently asked questions
About PS 256What is the total enrollment at PS 256?
PS 256 enrolls approximately 543 students in grades PK-12.
Is PS 256 an elementary, middle, or high school?
PS 256 is a combined-grade school covering grades PK-12.
How many students per teacher at PS 256?
Approximately 4.7:1 students per teacher at PS 256.
What is the student diversity at PS 256?
Student demographics at PS 256 are roughly 10% White, 32% Hispanic, 50% Black, 5% Asian, 1% Two or more.
What district is PS 256 in?
PS 256 is part of NYC SPECIAL SCHOOLS - DISTRICT 75.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.