MS 131

236 Students

Middle School 6th - 8th

School Overview

MS 131, located at 100 Hester Street in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, is a public middle school that serves a diverse student population in the heart of Chinatown. Known for its strong academic focus, the school offers a variety of specialized programs, including honors classes and dual-language instruction, aimed at preparing students for competitive high schools in New York City. The school environment is characterized by a commitment to fostering both intellectual growth and social-emotional development, often emphasizing community involvement and extracurricular opportunities.

Beyond its core curriculum, MS 131 is recognized for its dedicated faculty and its efforts to maintain an inclusive atmosphere that supports students from various cultural and linguistic backgrounds. The school often leverages its urban location to provide students with unique learning experiences, integrating the history and culture of the surrounding neighborhood into its educational approach. By maintaining high expectations for student achievement and providing robust support systems, MS 131 continues to be a notable educational institution within the New York City Department of Education’s District 2.

236

Total Students

45.5

Full-Time Teachers

5.2

Student/Teacher Ratio

99.2%

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for MS 131
Demographic	Student Count
White	6
Hispanic	67
Black	28
Asian	131
Two or More	3
Pacific Islander	1

Asian
131 (55.5 %)
Hispanic
67 (28.4 %)
Black
28 (11.9 %)
White
6 (2.5 %)
Two or More
3 (1.3 %)
Pacific Islander
1 (0.4 %)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	Middle 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)219-1204
Grade Range:	6th - 8th
Total Students:	236
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	45.5
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	5.2
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes under Community Eligibility Option (CEO)
Qualified Free Lunch:	231
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 6 80

Grade 7 78

Grade 8 78