MS 53 BRIAN PICCOLO

235 Students

Middle School 6th - 8th

School Overview

MS 53, also known as the Brian Piccolo School, is a public middle school located in the Far Rockaway neighborhood of Queens, New York. Serving students in grades 6 through 8, the school is part of the New York City Department of Education’s District 27. It is named in honor of Brian Piccolo, the legendary Chicago Bears running back whose life and struggle with cancer were immortalized in the film *Brian's Song*, emphasizing values of perseverance, teamwork, and character.

The school is dedicated to fostering a supportive academic environment that prioritizes literacy, critical thinking, and social-emotional development. MS 53 focuses on preparing its students for the transition to high school by offering a variety of extracurricular activities, arts programs, and academic interventions designed to meet the diverse needs of the local Far Rockaway community. As a neighborhood anchor, the school aims to bridge the gap between academic rigor and student engagement, striving to empower its young learners to achieve success both inside and outside the classroom.

235

Total Students

25.5

Full-Time Teachers

9.2

Student/Teacher Ratio

94.0%

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for MS 53 BRIAN PICCOLO
Demographic	Student Count
White	9
Hispanic	109
Black	106
Asian	2
Two or More	4
American Indian	3
Pacific Islander	2

Hispanic
109 (46.4%)
Black
106 (45.1%)
White
9 (3.8%)
Two or More
4 (1.7%)
American Indian
3 (1.3%)
Asian
2 (0.9%)
Pacific Islander
2 (0.9%)

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 #27
Phone:	(718)471-6900
Grade Range:	6th - 8th
Total Students:	235
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	25.5
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	9.2
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes under Community Eligibility Option (CEO)
Qualified Free Lunch:	217
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	4

* 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 72

Grade 7 74

Grade 8 89