SPECIAL MUSIC SCHOOL

www.kaufmanmusiccenter.org

305 Students

Other K - 12th

School Overview

The Special Music School (SMS), located at 129 West 67th Street in New York City, is a unique public K-8 school that integrates intensive musical training into a standard academic curriculum. Operated in partnership with the Kaufman Music Center, the school is designed specifically for musically gifted children. Unlike traditional schools where music is an elective, SMS treats music as a core academic subject, providing students with daily instrumental instruction, music theory, and ear training as part of their regular school day at no cost to families.

The program is highly competitive, selecting students based on musical potential rather than prior experience, ensuring that talented children from all backgrounds have access to a conservatory-style education within a public school setting. By blending rigorous classical music instruction with a comprehensive New York State academic curriculum, the Special Music School fosters a dual-excellence environment. This allows students to develop their artistic identity while maintaining high academic standards, preparing them for top-tier high schools and specialized performing arts conservatories.

305

Total Students

29.7

Full-Time Teachers

10.3

Student/Teacher Ratio

24.3%

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for SPECIAL MUSIC SCHOOL
Demographic	Student Count
White	117
Hispanic	49
Black	17
Asian	60
Two or More	60
Pacific Islander	2

White
117 (38.4%)
Asian
60 (19.7%)
Two or More
60 (19.7%)
Hispanic
49 (16.1%)
Black
17 (5.6%)
Pacific Islander
2 (0.7%)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	Other
School Type:	Regular School
Charter Status:*	Public Non-Charter
Virtual Instruction:	No virtual instruction
Shared Time Status:	No
District:	NEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT # 3
Phone:	(212)501-3318
Website:	http://www.kaufmanmusiccenter.org
Grade Range:	K - 12th
Total Students:	305
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	29.7
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	10.3
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes under Community Eligibility Option (CEO)
Qualified Free Lunch:	73
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	1

* 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

Kindergarten 13

Grade 1 16

Grade 2 15

Grade 3 12

Grade 4 13

Grade 5 15

Grade 6 14

Grade 7 15

Grade 8 16

Grade 9 40

Grade 10 41