NEW DESIGN HIGH SCHOOL

www.newdesignhigh.com

455 Students

High School 9th - 12th

School Overview

New Design High School (NDHS), located on Grand Street in New York City’s Lower East Side, is a unique public high school that integrates a traditional academic curriculum with a rigorous professional design education. Founded on the principle that design thinking is a vital skill for 21st-century problem solving, the school encourages students to move beyond rote memorization. Instead, the curriculum emphasizes project-based learning, where students are tasked with solving real-world challenges through research, collaboration, and iterative creative processes.

The school is well-regarded for its collaborative culture, which bridges the gap between academic subjects and the creative industries. Students benefit from partnerships with local designers, artists, and tech professionals, providing them with mentorship and internship opportunities that prepare them for both higher education and the modern workforce. By treating the school environment as a "design studio," New Design High School fosters a student-centered atmosphere that prioritizes innovation, critical thinking, and the development of a professional design portfolio.

455

Total Students

53.4

Full-Time Teachers

8.5

Student/Teacher Ratio

79.6%

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for NEW DESIGN HIGH SCHOOL
Demographic	Student Count
White	12
Hispanic	264
Black	135
Asian	27
Two or More	12
American Indian	3
Pacific Islander	2

Hispanic
264 (58.0 %)
Black
135 (29.7 %)
Asian
27 (5.9 %)
White
12 (2.6 %)
Two or More
12 (2.6 %)
American Indian
3 (0.7 %)
Pacific Islander
2 (0.4 %)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	High 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)475-4148
Website:	http://www.newdesignhigh.com
Grade Range:	9th - 12th
Total Students:	455
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	53.4
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	8.5
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes under Community Eligibility Option (CEO)
Qualified Free Lunch:	359
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

Grade 9 125

Grade 10 121

Grade 11 123

Grade 12 85

Ungraded 1