BAYCHESTER ACADEMY

www.baychesteracademy.org

339 Students

Elementary School Pre-K - 5th

School Overview

Baychester Academy (P.S. 491) 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 dedicated to fostering a supportive and rigorous academic environment. Its mission centers on developing the "whole child," blending high expectations for core subjects like literacy and mathematics with a focus on social-emotional learning and community building.

The school emphasizes a collaborative approach to education, actively involving families and the local community in the learning process. Baychester Academy utilizes a variety of instructional strategies to meet the diverse needs of its student body, often integrating technology and enrichment programs to keep students engaged. By prioritizing both academic achievement and character development, the school aims to prepare its students for middle school success and lifelong learning within a safe and structured setting.

339

Total Students

23.6

Full-Time Teachers

14.3

Student/Teacher Ratio

82.9%

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for BAYCHESTER ACADEMY
Demographic	Student Count
White	4
Hispanic	101
Black	226
Asian	4
Two or More	1
American Indian	2
Pacific Islander	1

Black
226 (66.7%)
Hispanic
101 (29.8%)
White
4 (1.2%)
Asian
4 (1.2%)
American Indian
2 (0.6%)
Two or More
1 (0.3%)
Pacific Islander
1 (0.3%)

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)325-1138
Website:	http://www.baychesteracademy.org
Grade Range:	Pre-K - 5th
Total Students:	339
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	23.6
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	14.3
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes under Community Eligibility Option (CEO)
Qualified Free Lunch:	269
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 32

Kindergarten 53

Grade 1 47

Grade 2 50

Grade 3 45

Grade 4 60

Grade 5 52