PS 39 FRANCIS J MURPHY JR

As a medium-sized elementary campus in STATEN ISLAND, New York, PS 39 FRANCIS J MURPHY JR serves 492 students from grades K through 5, part of NEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT #31.

NEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT #31 runs 74 schools in total, collectively educating 56,577 students. PS 39 FRANCIS J MURPHY JR is one of those campuses.

Demographically, PS 39 FRANCIS J MURPHY JR reports that the largest single group is White at 41%, but no single group is in the majority. Other groups include 25% Hispanic, 25% Asian, 6% Black, 2% multiracial. By comparison, Richmond County as a whole is about 60% White, so the school skews noticeably less White than its surroundings.

On the resource side, On paper, PS 39 FRANCIS J MURPHY JR has 38 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 12.8:1. The state averages about 12.8:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. An estimated 90% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. By comparison, Richmond County runs at roughly 67%, so the school's eligibility rate is higher than the surrounding baseline.

After controlling for student poverty, PS 39 FRANCIS J MURPHY JR ranks in the top 10% of New York public schools. The BeatsExpectations model, a per-state regression of composite proficiency on FRL share, predicts schools with this student profile to land around 41.7%; PS 39 FRANCIS J MURPHY JR posts 62.5%, +20.8 points above that line.

Around the school, census data for Richmond County shows median household income runs about $98,333, 36% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 9%. PS 39 FRANCIS J MURPHY JR is one of 88 public schools in Richmond County (combined enrollment of about 62,254 students).

Nearest neighbor: PS 46 ALBERT V MANISCALCO, around 0.6 miles off. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. On composite proficiency, PS 39 FRANCIS J MURPHY JR comes 5th of 8 in the immediate cluster, higher than the nearby-schools average of 56.2%.

The school occupies a downtown site.

Over the past 7-year window. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at PS 39 FRANCIS J MURPHY JR has ticked down 9%, going from 540 students in 2018 to 492 in 2025. Asian enrollment moved from 16% to 25% across the same window. Class-load math has tightened: from 14.6:1 in 2018 to 12.8:1 in 2025.

On this page, recent activity here tends to focus on sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.