PS 53 BASHEER QUISIM

600 Students

Elementary School Pre-K - 5th

School Overview

PS 53, also known as the Basheer Quisim School, is a public elementary school located in the Morrisania section of the Bronx, New York. Serving students from prekindergarten through fifth grade, the school is part of the New York City Department of Education’s District 9. The school is named in honor of Basheer Quisim, reflecting its commitment to fostering a supportive and culturally responsive environment for the diverse student population residing in the surrounding neighborhood.

Academically, PS 53 focuses on foundational literacy and numeracy while emphasizing social-emotional learning to ensure students are well-prepared for middle school transitions. The school community typically engages in various extracurricular programs and partnerships aimed at enriching the student experience beyond the classroom. As a neighborhood school, it serves as a central hub for local families, striving to provide a safe, structured, and inclusive atmosphere that encourages both academic achievement and personal growth for every child.

600

Total Students

56.2

Full-Time Teachers

10.7

Student/Teacher Ratio

96.2%

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for PS 53 BASHEER QUISIM
Demographic	Student Count
White	8
Hispanic	430
Black	149
Asian	3
Two or More	3
American Indian	7

Hispanic
430 (71.7%)
Black
149 (24.8%)
White
8 (1.3%)
American Indian
7 (1.2%)
Asian
3 (0.5%)
Two or More
3 (0.5%)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	Elementary School
School Type:	Regular School
Charter Status:*	Public Non-Charter
Virtual Instruction:	No virtual instruction
Shared Time Status:	No
District:	NEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT # 9
Phone:	(718)681-7276
Grade Range:	Pre-K - 5th
Total Students:	600
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	56.2
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	10.7
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes under Community Eligibility Option (CEO)
Qualified Free Lunch:	573
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	4

* Charter Schools: A public charter school is a publicly funded school that operates independently under a legislative contract (or "charter") with a state, school district, or designated authorizing entity. Charters grant these schools greater operational flexibility over curriculum, staffing, and budgeting in exchange for strict accountability to achieve performance standards established in their charter agreement.

¹ National School Lunch Program (NSLP): The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to eligible children each school day based on household income thresholds or community eligibility options (CEO).

Title I Program Overview: Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) allocates federal financial assistance to local educational agencies and public schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

Grades Taught

Pre-Kindergarten 95

Kindergarten 84

Grade 1 82

Grade 2 82

Grade 3 87

Grade 4 86

Grade 5 84