PS 85 GREAT EXPECTATIONS

641 Students

Elementary School Pre-K - 5th

School Overview

PS 85, known as the Great Expectations School, is a public elementary school located in the Fordham Heights neighborhood of the Bronx. Serving students from Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 5, the school is part of the New York City Department of Education’s District 10. The school’s mission emphasizes fostering a supportive and rigorous academic environment where students are encouraged to reach their full potential, aligning with its "Great Expectations" moniker.

The school is deeply integrated into its local community and focuses on providing a well-rounded education that balances core subjects like literacy and mathematics with social-emotional development. PS 85 is known for its commitment to inclusive practices, striving to meet the diverse needs of its student population—which includes a significant percentage of English Language Learners—through targeted instructional strategies and a focus on building strong home-school partnerships. By promoting high academic standards and a character-building culture, the school aims to prepare its students for success in middle school and beyond.

641

Total Students

59.6

Full-Time Teachers

10.8

Student/Teacher Ratio

98.1%

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for PS 85 GREAT EXPECTATIONS
Demographic	Student Count
White	3
Hispanic	438
Black	187
Asian	4
Two or More	4
American Indian	4
Pacific Islander	1

Hispanic
438 (68.3 %)
Black
187 (29.2 %)
Asian
4 (0.6 %)
Two or More
4 (0.6 %)
American Indian
4 (0.6 %)
White
3 (0.5 %)
Pacific Islander
1 (0.2 %)

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 #10
Phone:	(718)584-5275
Grade Range:	Pre-K - 5th
Total Students:	641
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	59.6
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	10.8
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes under Community Eligibility Option (CEO)
Qualified Free Lunch:	626
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	3

* 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 26

Kindergarten 104

Grade 1 89

Grade 2 89

Grade 3 107

Grade 4 115

Grade 5 111