ACADEMY OF ARTS AND LETTERS

www.artsandlettersbklyn.org

757 Students

Elementary School Pre-K - 8th

School Overview

The Academy of Arts and Letters (Public School 20) is a K–8 school located in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY. Known for its progressive approach to education, the school emphasizes a holistic curriculum that integrates rigorous academic study with a strong focus on the arts, social-emotional learning, and community engagement. It is highly regarded for its commitment to project-based learning, which encourages students to think critically, collaborate on complex tasks, and connect their classroom lessons to real-world issues.

The school environment is often noted for being intimate and inclusive, fostering a tight-knit culture that supports individual student growth. By blending traditional core subjects—such as literacy, mathematics, and science—with enrichment programs like music, visual arts, and drama, the Academy of Arts and Letters aims to develop well-rounded students who are both intellectually curious and socially responsible. Its location in Fort Greene further allows the school to utilize the surrounding community’s cultural institutions as extensions of the classroom, enriching the student experience.

757

Total Students

59.1

Full-Time Teachers

12.8

Student/Teacher Ratio

36.3%

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for ACADEMY OF ARTS AND LETTERS
Demographic	Student Count
White	270
Hispanic	100
Black	277
Asian	48
Two or More	57
American Indian	1
Pacific Islander	3

Black
277 (36.6%)
White
270 (35.7%)
Hispanic
100 (13.2%)
Two or More
57 (7.5%)
Asian
48 (6.3%)
Pacific Islander
3 (0.4%)
American Indian
1 (0.1%)

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 #13
Phone:	(718)789-3962
Website:	http://www.artsandlettersbklyn.org
Grade Range:	Pre-K - 8th
Total Students:	757
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	59.1
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	12.8
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes under Community Eligibility Option (CEO)
Qualified Free Lunch:	273
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	2

* 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 36

Kindergarten 72

Grade 1 76

Grade 2 70

Grade 3 71

Grade 4 75

Grade 5 82

Grade 6 97

Grade 7 96

Grade 8 82