PS 153 HELEN KELLER

440 Students

Elementary School Pre-K - 5th

School Overview

PS 153 Helen Keller, located in the Baychester neighborhood of the Bronx, is a public elementary school serving students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. Named after the famed author and activist, the school is part of the New York City Department of Education’s District 11. It is situated within a residential area of the Bronx and serves as a cornerstone for the local community, focusing on providing foundational academic instruction in a supportive and structured environment.

The school is known for its commitment to inclusive education, reflecting the spirit of its namesake by striving to meet the diverse learning needs of its student population. Beyond core academics, PS 153 generally emphasizes social-emotional development and community engagement, encouraging students to develop both as scholars and responsible citizens. Like many schools in the NYC system, it offers a variety of programs aimed at fostering literacy, mathematics proficiency, and personal growth, often utilizing the surrounding neighborhood resources to enrich the student experience.

440

Total Students

32.1

Full-Time Teachers

13.7

Student/Teacher Ratio

72.5%

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for PS 153 HELEN KELLER
Demographic	Student Count
White	7
Hispanic	115
Black	271
Asian	32
Two or More	8
American Indian	5
Pacific Islander	2

Black
271 (61.6%)
Hispanic
115 (26.1%)
Asian
32 (7.3%)
Two or More
8 (1.8%)
White
7 (1.6%)
American Indian
5 (1.1%)
Pacific Islander
2 (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 #11
Phone:	(718)904-5550
Grade Range:	Pre-K - 5th
Total Students:	440
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	32.1
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	13.7
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes under Community Eligibility Option (CEO)
Qualified Free Lunch:	307
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	12

* 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 18

Kindergarten 58

Grade 1 72

Grade 2 78

Grade 3 62

Grade 4 75

Grade 5 76

Ungraded 1