PS 42 BENJAMIN ALTMAN

482 Students

Elementary School Pre-K - 5th

School Overview

PS 42, also known as the Benjamin Altman School, is a public elementary school located in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Serving students from Pre-K through 5th grade, the school is situated on Hester Street in a historically significant neighborhood. It is part of the New York City Department of Education’s District 2, one of the most highly regarded and competitive districts in the city, which provides the school with access to various resources and pedagogical frameworks common to the area's educational landscape.

The school is known for its focus on fostering a supportive, community-oriented environment for a diverse student body. PS 42 emphasizes foundational academic skills while integrating arts and social-emotional learning into its curriculum. As a neighborhood school, it prioritizes parent engagement and community involvement, striving to create a cohesive learning space that reflects the cultural vibrancy of the Lower East Side. Its location allows students to benefit from the neighborhood’s proximity to cultural institutions and enrichment opportunities typical of urban schooling in New York City.

482

Total Students

44.5

Full-Time Teachers

10.8

Student/Teacher Ratio

66.0%

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for PS 42 BENJAMIN ALTMAN
Demographic	Student Count
White	46
Hispanic	44
Black	10
Asian	366
Two or More	14
American Indian	1
Pacific Islander	1

Asian
366 (75.9 %)
White
46 (9.5 %)
Hispanic
44 (9.1 %)
Two or More
14 (2.9 %)
Black
10 (2.1 %)
American Indian
1 (0.2 %)
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 # 2
Phone:	(212)226-8410
Grade Range:	Pre-K - 5th
Total Students:	482
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	44.5
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	10.8
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes under Community Eligibility Option (CEO)
Qualified Free Lunch:	288
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	30

* 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 46

Kindergarten 67

Grade 1 89

Grade 2 67

Grade 3 64

Grade 4 66

Grade 5 82

Ungraded 1