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Honest take: what's the hardest part about being a student at PS 56 LOUIS DESARIO SCHOOL (THE)?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
644
Elementary
DISTRICT 529 · STATE 443
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·NEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT #31·NCES 360010303394
PS 56 LOUIS DESARIO SCHOOL (THE)
250 KRAMER AVE, STATEN ISLAND, NY 10309 · (718) 605-1189 · Richmond County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY11-CITYREGULAR SCHOOL644 STUDENTS
A-
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 83% of New York public elementary schools
- A-Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- A-Beats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded New York public elementary schools
Student : Teacher
15.3:1
42 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 12.3:1 · STATE 12.8:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
39%
254 students
DISTRICT 69% · STATE 58%
Community
1
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 83 | 13% |
| Kindergarten | 92 | 14% |
| Grade 1 | 80 | 12% |
| Grade 2 | 92 | 14% |
| Grade 3 | 98 | 15% |
| Grade 4 | 91 | 14% |
| Grade 5 | 105 | 16% |
| Ungraded | 3 | 0% |
This year's kindergarten class (92) is 12% smaller than its 5th grade class (105).
Student demographics
52%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 72% · 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
Test scores
NYS Assessments 2024-25 . % Proficient (Level 3 + Level 4)English Language Arts
78.0%
NY avg 58.3% . +3.0pp since 2023
Math
76.0%
NY avg 57.4% . -1.0pp since 2023
What this means: On the NYS Assessments, New York's statewide test, about 78 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 76 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all New York schools, those numbers are about 58 and 57. Reading and writing scores are up about 3 points since 2023, while math scores are down about 1 points.
NYS Assessments results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 78.0% | 76.0% |
| 2023-24 | 75.0% | 77.0% |
% Proficient (Level 3 + Level 4), all students and all tested grades.
Source: NYS Assessments. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
70.8%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
60.5%
based on NY schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+10.3pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 71% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 60% typical for New York schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among New York's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like PS 56 LOUIS DESARIO SCHOOL (THE)
PS 56 LOUIS DESARIO SCHOOL (THE)'s state test result (70.8% proficient) is higher than 1 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| PS 56 LOUIS DESARIO SCHOOL (THE) this school | 644 | 39.4% | 70.8% |
| PS 3 MARGARET GIOIOSA SCHOOL (THE) STATEN ISLAND | 668 | 36.5% | 77.4% |
| PS 23 RICHMONDTOWN STATEN ISLAND | 608 | 40.0% | 79.0% |
| PS 185 WALTER KASSENBROCK BROOKLYN | 577 | 42.3% | 73.2% |
| PS 30 WESTERLEIGH STATEN ISLAND | 689 | 41.1% | 75.6% |
| FLOYD S WINSLOW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HENRIETTA | 505 | 37.0% | 59.8% |
Matched among New York elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where PS 56 LOUIS DESARIO SCHOOL (THE) ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In New York | In Richmond County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 70.8% | #376 of 2,335 | #16 of 53 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 76.0% | #478 of 2,342 ▼ 112 | #19 of 53 ▼ 2 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 78.0% | #295 of 2,343 ▼ 128 | #16 of 53 ▼ 8 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 644 | #365 of 2,585 | #20 of 55 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 15.3:1 | #2,074 of 2,338 | #42 of 52 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 51.7% | #1,160 of 2,388 | #42 of 52 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 39.4% | #1,711 of 2,534 | #52 of 55 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +6.6% | #357 of 606 | #7 of 15 |
Ranked against other public elementary 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
644
+64 (+11%) vs 2020
-18% since 2010-11, when it was 783
Student : Teacher
15.3:1
was 13.5:1
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 | 644 | 42.2 | 15.3:1 | 39% (254) |
| 2023-24 | 634 | 47.8 | 13.3:1 | 41% (258) |
| 2022-23 | 640 | 45.6 | 14.0:1 | 39% (251) |
| 2020-21 | 580 | 43 | 13.5:1 | 32% (188) |
| 2017-18 | 604 | 48 | 12.6:1 | 37% (222) |
| 2015-16 | 649 | 42 | 15.4:1 | 38% (247) |
| 2010-11 | 783 | 46 | 17.0:1 | 40% (314) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for PS 56 LOUIS DESARIO SCHOOL (THE).
About PS 56 LOUIS DESARIO SCHOOL (THE)
PS 56 LOUIS DESARIO SCHOOL (THE) is classified as an elementary school. It is located in STATEN ISLAND, New York. The latest federal count shows 644 students in pre-K through 5. The average for elementary schools in New York is about 443 students, so this school is 45% larger than average.
NEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT #31 is responsible for 74 schools, PS 56 LOUIS DESARIO SCHOOL (THE) included, with 56,577 students in all.
PS 56 LOUIS DESARIO SCHOOL (THE) is 66% White by enrollment. Beyond that, enrollment is 17% Asian and 14% Hispanic. PS 56 LOUIS DESARIO SCHOOL (THE)'s diversity index is 52%, against a US figure of 70%.
At PS 56 LOUIS DESARIO SCHOOL (THE), 42.2 full-time-equivalent teachers work with students, a ratio of about 15.3:1. That is higher than the 12.8:1 average for elementary schools in New York. Roughly 39% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. The gap from the 67% average for public schools in Richmond County is 28 points.
PS 56 LOUIS DESARIO SCHOOL (THE) is graded A- by allk12, scoring above 83% of New York public elementary schools once test results, poverty-adjusted performance, and the recent trend are combined.
PS 56 LOUIS DESARIO SCHOOL (THE) scores 70.8% on state tests, averaged across results. The predicted figure, based on its student poverty level, is 60.5%.
Census Bureau estimates for Richmond County show that the median household income is $98,333, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 36%, and roughly 9% of residents are in poverty. PS 56 LOUIS DESARIO SCHOOL (THE) is one of 88 public schools in the county.
The nearest public school is KATHLEEN GRIMM SCHOOL FOR LEADERSHIP, at about 0.3 miles. Around the school, at least 8 other public schools are within five miles. By average proficiency, PS 56 LOUIS DESARIO SCHOOL (THE) is 6th among 9 schools close by.
Federal data place PS 56 LOUIS DESARIO SCHOOL (THE) in the City: Large locale, which means it is inside a principal city with a population of 250,000 or more.
2024-25 enrollment was 644, an 11% increase from 580 in 2020-21. The number of students per teacher rose from 13.5 to 15.3 over 4 years.
Threads on this page can be about sports tryouts, band and choir, and theater. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.
Richmond County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
494,956
Census ACS
Median income
$98,333
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
36%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
9%
Below federal line
Schools in county
88
62,254 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in NEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT #31
- TOTTENVILLE HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 3,750 students
- NEW DORP HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 3,055 students
- SUSAN E WAGNER HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 2,743 students
- CURTIS HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 2,439 students
- PORT RICHMOND HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 1,696 students
- IS 72 ROCCO LAURIEMiddle · 1,532 students
Other schools in STATEN ISLAND
- TOTTENVILLE HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 3,750 students
- NEW DORP HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 3,055 students
- SUSAN E WAGNER HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 2,743 students
- CURTIS HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 2,439 students
- PORT RICHMOND HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 1,696 students
- IS 72 ROCCO LAURIEMiddle · 1,532 students
Nearby schools
- KATHLEEN GRIMM SCHOOL FOR LEADERSHIP0.3 mi · 452
- IS 75 FRANK D PAULO0.9 mi · 1,514
- PS 4 MAURICE WOLLIN1.2 mi · 862
- PS 3 MARGARET GIOIOSA SCHOOL (THE)1.5 mi · 668
- TOTTENVILLE HIGH SCHOOL1.5 mi · 3,750
- PS 5 HUGUENOT1.6 mi · 317
Frequently asked questions
About PS 56 LOUIS DESARIO SCHOOL (THE)How large is PS 56 LOUIS DESARIO SCHOOL (THE)?
PS 56 LOUIS DESARIO SCHOOL (THE) enrolls approximately 644 students in grades PK-05.
What age range does PS 56 LOUIS DESARIO SCHOOL (THE) serve?
PS 56 LOUIS DESARIO SCHOOL (THE) serves students from grade PK through grade 05.
How many teachers does PS 56 LOUIS DESARIO SCHOOL (THE) have?
PS 56 LOUIS DESARIO SCHOOL (THE) employs 42 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 15.3:1.
What is the student diversity at PS 56 LOUIS DESARIO SCHOOL (THE)?
Student demographics at PS 56 LOUIS DESARIO SCHOOL (THE) are roughly 66% White, 14% Hispanic, 1% Black, 17% Asian, 2% Two or more.
What district is PS 56 LOUIS DESARIO SCHOOL (THE) in?
PS 56 LOUIS DESARIO SCHOOL (THE) is part of NEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT #31.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.