PS 161 ARTHUR ASHE SCHOOL

528 Students

Elementary School Pre-K - 5th

School Overview

PS 161, officially known as the Arthur Ashe School, is a public elementary school located in the Richmond Hill/Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, New York. Serving students from Pre-Kindergarten through 5th grade, the school is named in honor of the legendary tennis champion and humanitarian Arthur Ashe. The school aims to uphold his legacy by fostering a community focused on academic excellence, personal integrity, and social responsibility, encouraging students to strive for their best both inside and outside the classroom.

The school is part of the New York City Department of Education’s District 28. It offers a comprehensive curriculum designed to meet the diverse needs of its student population, emphasizing foundational skills in literacy, mathematics, and science. Beyond academics, PS 161 often incorporates social-emotional learning and extracurricular opportunities to support the holistic development of its students, striving to create a nurturing and inclusive environment that prepares children for the transition to middle school and beyond.

528

Total Students

34.8

Full-Time Teachers

15.2

Student/Teacher Ratio

88.1%

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for PS 161 ARTHUR ASHE SCHOOL
Demographic	Student Count
White	15
Hispanic	72
Black	23
Asian	352
Two or More	9
American Indian	48
Pacific Islander	9

Asian
352 (66.7 %)
Hispanic
72 (13.6 %)
American Indian
48 (9.1 %)
Black
23 (4.4 %)
White
15 (2.8 %)
Two or More
9 (1.7 %)
Pacific Islander
9 (1.7 %)

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 #28
Phone:	(718)441-5493
Grade Range:	Pre-K - 5th
Total Students:	528
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	34.8
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	15.2
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes under Community Eligibility Option (CEO)
Qualified Free Lunch:	448
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	17

* 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 64

Kindergarten 84

Grade 1 82

Grade 2 75

Grade 3 87

Grade 4 68

Grade 5 68