PS 21 MARGARET EMERY-ELM PARK

393 Students

Elementary School Pre-K - 5th

School Overview

PS 21, also known as the Margaret Emery-Elm Park school, is a public elementary school located in the Elm Park neighborhood of Staten Island, New York. Serving students from prekindergarten through fifth grade, the school is part of the New York City Department of Education’s District 31. The school is named in honor of Margaret Emery, a longtime Staten Island educator and community figure, and it serves as a central pillar of the local Elm Park community, focusing on providing foundational academic support to a diverse student population.

The school is characterized by its commitment to fostering a nurturing environment that emphasizes both academic growth and social-emotional development. Like many schools in the NYC system, PS 21 focuses on literacy and mathematics while integrating arts and enrichment programs to provide a well-rounded educational experience. As a community school, it often engages in outreach and collaborative efforts with local families to ensure that students have the necessary resources and support systems to succeed throughout their primary education years.

393

Total Students

39.1

Full-Time Teachers

10.0

Student/Teacher Ratio

85.8%

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for PS 21 MARGARET EMERY-ELM PARK
Demographic	Student Count
White	58
Hispanic	228
Black	82
Asian	14
Two or More	6
American Indian	3
Pacific Islander	2

Hispanic
228 (58.0 %)
Black
82 (20.9 %)
White
58 (14.8 %)
Asian
14 (3.6 %)
Two or More
6 (1.5 %)
American Indian
3 (0.8 %)
Pacific Islander
2 (0.5 %)

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 #31
Phone:	(718)816-3300
Grade Range:	Pre-K - 5th
Total Students:	393
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	39.1
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	10.0
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes under Community Eligibility Option (CEO)
Qualified Free Lunch:	336
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

Pre-Kindergarten 51

Kindergarten 55

Grade 1 61

Grade 2 57

Grade 3 51

Grade 4 51

Grade 5 67