PS 56 LOUIS DESARIO SCHOOL (THE)

Located at 250 KRAMER AVE, in STATEN ISLAND, New York, PS 56 LOUIS DESARIO SCHOOL (THE) is a mid-sized elementary school that instructs 644 students (grades pre-K through 5), one of the schools within NEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT #31. Enrollment runs roughly 45% above the state mean of about 443.

NEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT #31 comprises 74 schools with combined enrollment of 56,577 students; PS 56 LOUIS DESARIO SCHOOL (THE) is among them.

For racial and ethnic makeup, PS 56 LOUIS DESARIO SCHOOL (THE) reports that 66% of the student body identifies as White; the rest reads as 17% Asian, 14% Hispanic.

Looking at school resources, PS 56 LOUIS DESARIO SCHOOL (THE) reports 42 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 15.3:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 12.8:1, putting PS 56 LOUIS DESARIO SCHOOL (THE) higher than the state norm the norm. Roughly 39% of students at PS 56 LOUIS DESARIO SCHOOL (THE) qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. That share is lower than Richmond County's rate of about 67%.

With demographic context factored in, PS 56 LOUIS DESARIO SCHOOL (THE) tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 60.5% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 70.8%.

In the area at large, the surrounding county (Richmond County) records that median household earnings sit near $98,333, roughly 36% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 9%. In all, Richmond County runs 88 public schools (combined enrollment of about 62,254 students), of which PS 56 LOUIS DESARIO SCHOOL (THE) is one.

The closest other public school is KATHLEEN GRIMM SCHOOL FOR LEADERSHIP, roughly 0.3 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), PS 56 LOUIS DESARIO SCHOOL (THE) ranks 6th on composite proficiency, below the local average of 73.9%.

PS 56 LOUIS DESARIO SCHOOL (THE) operates from a downtown location.

Trend over the last 7 years. Over the past 7-year window, the student count expanded 7%: 604 students in 2018 compared to 644 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 78% to 66% across the same window. The student-to-teacher ratio rose from 12.6:1 in 2018 to 15.3:1 today.

On the community side, posts here usually surface around sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.