NEW DESIGN MIDDLE SCHOOL

www.newdesignmiddle.org

73 Students

Middle School 6th - 8th

School Overview

New Design Middle School (NDMS), located in the Manhattanville neighborhood of West Harlem, is a public school serving grades 6–8 that emphasizes a project-based, design-oriented approach to learning. Unlike traditional middle school models, NDMS integrates "design thinking" into its daily curriculum, encouraging students to solve real-world problems through creativity, collaboration, and iterative feedback. The school fosters a community-focused environment that prioritizes student voice, aiming to help adolescents navigate their development by applying design principles to both their academic work and their personal growth.

The school is noted for its commitment to social-emotional learning and its "small school" culture, which allows for closer relationships between students and faculty. By leveraging its location in New York City, NDMS frequently utilizes the city as a classroom, providing students with opportunities to engage with local organizations and professional designers. The school's philosophy is rooted in the belief that students are more successful when they are empowered to take ownership of their education, making it a popular choice for families looking for an alternative to conventional, test-heavy middle school environments.

Total Students

15.3

Full-Time Teachers

4.8

Student/Teacher Ratio

124.7%

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for NEW DESIGN MIDDLE SCHOOL
Demographic	Student Count
White	4
Hispanic	34
Black	34
American Indian	1

Hispanic
34 (46.6 %)
Black
34 (46.6 %)
White
4 (5.5 %)
American Indian
1 (1.4 %)

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 # 5
Phone:	(212)281-6339
Website:	http://www.newdesignmiddle.org
Grade Range:	6th - 8th
Total Students:	73
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	15.3
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	4.8
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes under Community Eligibility Option (CEO)
Qualified Free Lunch:	90
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

Grade 6 19

Grade 7 28

Grade 8 26