PS 55 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

495 Students

Elementary School Pre-K - 5th

School Overview

P.S. 55, also known as the Benjamin Franklin 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 deeply integrated into its urban neighborhood, operating under the New York City Department of Education. The school focuses on providing a foundational education that emphasizes academic growth, social-emotional development, and community engagement for a diverse student population.

As part of the NYC public school system, P.S. 55 is committed to fostering a supportive learning environment that prepares students for middle school transitions. The school typically offers a variety of academic programs and extracurricular opportunities designed to bolster literacy and mathematics skills while encouraging student participation in arts and enrichment activities. Located on St. Paul’s Place, it remains a central institution for local families, striving to promote equity and achievement within its district.

495

Total Students

40.5

Full-Time Teachers

12.2

Student/Teacher Ratio

97.6%

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for PS 55 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
Demographic	Student Count
White	7
Hispanic	277
Black	203
Asian	3
Two or More	3
American Indian	1

Hispanic
277 (56.1%)
Black
203 (41.1%)
White
7 (1.4%)
Asian
3 (0.6%)
Two or More
3 (0.6%)
American Indian
1 (0.2%)

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)681-6227
Grade Range:	Pre-K - 5th
Total Students:	495
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	40.5
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	12.2
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes under Community Eligibility Option (CEO)
Qualified Free Lunch:	482
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	1

* 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 79

Kindergarten 65

Grade 1 61

Grade 2 72

Grade 3 66

Grade 4 74

Grade 5 77

Ungraded 1