PS 178 DR SELMAN WAKSMAN

334 Students

Elementary School Pre-K - 5th

School Overview

P.S. 178, also known as the Dr. Selman Waksman School, is a public elementary school located in the Baychester neighborhood of the Bronx, New York. Serving students from Pre-Kindergarten through grade 5, the school is part of the New York City Department of Education’s District 11. The school is named in honor of Selman Waksman, a Nobel Prize-winning biochemist, reflecting a commitment to fostering a strong academic foundation for its diverse student body.

The school places a significant emphasis on creating a nurturing and inclusive learning environment that focuses on both academic achievement and social-emotional development. P.S. 178 utilizes a variety of instructional strategies to meet the needs of its students, often integrating literacy, mathematics, and science programs designed to align with New York State standards. In addition to core academics, the school typically offers various extracurricular activities and support services aimed at enriching the student experience and building a strong sense of community among families and staff.

334

Total Students

27.9

Full-Time Teachers

12.0

Student/Teacher Ratio

75.7%

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for PS 178 DR SELMAN WAKSMAN
Demographic	Student Count
White	13
Hispanic	102
Black	194
Asian	3
Two or More	3
American Indian	4
Pacific Islander	15

Black
194 (58.1%)
Hispanic
102 (30.5%)
Pacific Islander
15 (4.5%)
White
13 (3.9%)
American Indian
4 (1.2%)
Asian
3 (0.9%)
Two or More
3 (0.9%)

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 #11
Phone:	(718)904-5570
Grade Range:	Pre-K - 5th
Total Students:	334
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	27.9
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	12.0
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes under Community Eligibility Option (CEO)
Qualified Free Lunch:	237
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	16

* 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 64

Kindergarten 47

Grade 1 39

Grade 2 40

Grade 3 53

Grade 4 41

Grade 5 50