IS 281 JOSEPH B CAVALLARO

www.is281.com

1,198 Students

Middle School 6th - 8th

School Overview

IS 281, also known as the Joseph B. Cavallaro School, is a public middle school located in the Bensonhurst neighborhood of Brooklyn. Serving students in grades 6 through 8, the school is part of the New York City Department of Education’s District 21. It is situated in a vibrant, multicultural community and is known for providing a structured academic environment aimed at preparing students for the transition to high school.

The school offers a traditional middle school curriculum supplemented by various academic support services and extracurricular opportunities. IS 281 emphasizes the development of core competencies in English Language Arts, mathematics, science, and social studies, while also fostering social-emotional growth during these formative adolescent years. By maintaining a focus on community involvement and academic rigor, the school strives to create a supportive atmosphere where students from diverse backgrounds can pursue their interests and improve their academic standing before moving on to secondary education.

1,198

Total Students

91.8

Full-Time Teachers

13.1

Student/Teacher Ratio

85.0%

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for IS 281 JOSEPH B CAVALLARO
Demographic	Student Count
White	293
Hispanic	331
Black	78
Asian	476
Two or More	12
American Indian	6
Pacific Islander	2

Asian
476 (39.7%)
Hispanic
331 (27.6%)
White
293 (24.5%)
Black
78 (6.5%)
Two or More
12 (1.0%)
American Indian
6 (0.5%)
Pacific Islander
2 (0.2%)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	Middle 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 #21
Phone:	(718)996-6706
Website:	http://www.is281.com
Grade Range:	6th - 8th
Total Students:	1,198
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	91.8
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	13.1
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes under Community Eligibility Option (CEO)
Qualified Free Lunch:	983
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	35

* 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

Grade 6 368

Grade 7 415

Grade 8 413

Ungraded 2