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Ps 51 Elias Howe

Q: Is Ps 51 Elias Howe a good school?

Ps 51 Elias Howe ranks 1382 nd of 2445 New York elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1382^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,445 New York Elementary Schools

Better than 43% of New York elementary schools

Summary

PS 51 Elias Howe is an elementary school in New York City's District 2, serving 468 students in grades PK-5. The school has seen fluctuations in its statewide ranking over the past decade, currently holding a 3-out-of-5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While PS 51 Elias Howe performs relatively well for African American and Hispanic students, ranking in the top 50% of New York elementary schools, the school struggles with English Language Learners and Homeless students, ranking in the bottom 25%. Additionally, male students underperform compared to female students. The school's high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 75% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, may contribute to these academic challenges. Interestingly, the nearby PS 116 Mary Lindley Murray and PS 33 Chelsea Prep generally outperform PS 51 Elias Howe on state assessments and have higher statewide rankings.

The stark contrast in performance between PS 51 Elias Howe and the nearby Success Academy Charter School-Hudson Yards and Success Academy Charter School-Hell's Kitchen, which have over 90% of students meeting or exceeding standards on state assessments, highlights the potential impact of school choice and alternative educational models. To address the school's challenges, targeted interventions and support services for vulnerable populations, as well as exploring the practices of higher-performing nearby schools, could be valuable strategies for improvement.

451

Students ?

11.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$33,921

Per pupil spending ?

76.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

525 W 44th St
New York, NY 10036

(212) 315-7160

District: New York City Geographic District # 2

Students who attend Ps 51 Elias Howe usually attend:

Middle:

Middle School 297

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

63.2%

White:

14.0%

African American:

12.9%

See top rated New York elementary schools

Compare Ps 51 Elias Howe to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 57th percentile in 2015 → 43rd in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 14 percentile points since 2015

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Near the bottom of New York City Geographic District # 2's ranking

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school51%

District avg78%

New York avg55%

1,382^nd of 2,445

New York public elementary schools ?

Bottom 43%▼ down 14 pts since 2015

From top 43% (2015) to bottom 43% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of New York Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

33^rd of 35Elementary Schools in the New York City Geographic District # 2

352^nd of 874New York City Geographic District # 2 among New York districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New York percentile	Rating
2025	43.2	1382 of 2445	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	52.9	1078 of 2445	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.1	917 of 2439	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	39.2	1480 of 2434	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	72.0	560 of 2201	74.6%	★★★★☆
2019	50.3	1156 of 2413	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	46.0	1310 of 2395	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	65.3	780 of 2386	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2016	48.4	1224 of 2366	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2015	55.9	1007 of 2352	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2014	51.8	1126 of 2345	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2013	34.9	1555 of 2325	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2012	44.4	1440 of 2320	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2011	58.3	1059 of 2286	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2010	62.4	947 of 2263	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2009	64.4	943 of 2257	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2008	61.8	1038 of 2227	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2007	51.0	1315 of 2219	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2006	64.8	941 of 2206	57.3%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New York percentile	Rating
2025	56.2	372 of 928	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.6	390 of 927	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.5	245 of 857	71.4%	★★★★☆
2022	45.2	477 of 936	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	77.8	148 of 891	83.4%	★★★★☆
2018	43.0	517 of 948	45.5%	★★☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New York percentile	Rating
2024	62.6	260 of 662	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	39.1	460 of 671	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	48.1	350 of 548	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	39.4	425 of 601	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New York percentile	Rating
2025	32.5	803 of 1117	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.2	791 of 1066	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	53.8	322 of 1001	67.8%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New York percentile	Rating
2025	60.5	900 of 2409	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	49.3	1167 of 2413	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.1	894 of 2403	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	35.0	1617 of 2401	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	55.2	1016 of 2357	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	46.8	1286 of 2338	45.0%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New York percentile	Rating
2025	39.9	963 of 1569	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.7	695 of 1531	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	66.4	372 of 1429	74.0%	★★★★☆
2022	36.3	994 of 1503	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	46.7	641 of 1315	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	44.9	749 of 1392	46.2%	★★☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New York percentile	Rating
2025	20.0	708 of 792	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.1	744 of 766	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	25.8	515 of 637	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.5	578 of 622	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	45.7	294 of 570	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.2	464 of 730	36.4%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New York percentile	Rating
2025	39.2	1232 of 2098	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.0	1045 of 2078	49.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	57.6	728 of 2041	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	31.1	1526 of 2099	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	49.3	891 of 2032	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	47.6	987 of 2045	51.7%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New York percentile	Rating
2025	31.5	1704 of 2407	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	54.6	1017 of 2411	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.6	977 of 2400	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	44.6	1315 of 2400	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	41.9	1345 of 2358	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	45.3	1296 of 2340	44.6%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New York percentile	Rating
2025	47.6	939 of 2134	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	61.0	553 of 2110	73.8%	★★★★☆
2023	43.1	974 of 2016	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.6	825 of 2031	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	60.1	453 of 1859	75.6%	★★★★☆
2018	58.1	559 of 1941	71.2%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New York percentile	Rating
2025	61.3	544 of 1402	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.3	761 of 1392	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.8	914 of 1337	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.2	956 of 1399	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	56.1	577 of 1338	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	59.7	563 of 1408	60.0%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Female (2025)63rd percentile+19 vs school

White (2025)61st percentile+18 vs school

Asian (2024)61st percentile+5 vs school

African American (2025)60th percentile+16 vs school

Special Education (2025)56th percentile+13 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)41st percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)39th percentile-5 vs school

Male (2025)29th percentile-14 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)28th percentile-15 vs school

Homeless (2025)11th percentile-33 vs school

By subject vs New York (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts54%~ state avg

Math50%-7 vs state

Science40%-5 vs state

3.0

4 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★2

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What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, November 17, 2017

My fourth grader came to this school half way through kindergarten after having a bad experience at Success Academy. We hadn't heard great things about 51, so we were pleasantly surprised by it's wonderful and dedicated teachers. The school is supportive of all types of learners and truly celebrates diverse cultures. The test scores and rating on this site do not reflect the high-quality education that my son is receiving. The school values true education, not just test prep. My son's state tests scores were excellent and he's very involved in the many free after school activities like Science Club, Orhestra, Chorus!
We couldn't be happier.
-Sarah Ireland Close Quote

by a parent
Sunday, June 26, 2016

P.S.51 is a unique small school in the heart of Manhattan, characterized by its diversity, motivated by the ideal of a holistic education that integrates the arts into the process of learning, allowing the students to excel academically as well as creatively and emotionally. This focus on arts education would not be possible without the strong commitment and leadership of Principal Nancy Sing-Bock. P.S.51 was recognized by the Department of Education as having a stellar arts education program. P.S.51 was also named an Outstanding School by The Blackboard Awards, achievements that show how much we are all committed to the success of each student at our school. My oldest daughter has already graduated from P.S.51 and my youngest daughter will be attending 4th grade in September. This is by far the best primary public school in our neighborhood.
Lorena Camacho, Emilia Urcola (11) and Camila Urcola (9). Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, June 11, 2012

Tons of bullying, hostile principal, kids get yelled at all day, no phys ed program, foul language used everywhere, can't wait to get out of this place!!!! Close Quote

Schools Near Ps 51 Elias Howe

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				Regents Algebra I (2025)	Regents Life Science Biology (2025)	NY State Assessments English Language Arts (2025)						NY State Assessments Math (2025)					NY State Assessments Science (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Regents Algebra I End of Course	Regents Life Science Biology End of Course	NY State Assessments English Language Arts 3rd Grade	NY State Assessments English Language Arts 4th Grade	NY State Assessments English Language Arts 5th Grade	NY State Assessments English Language Arts 6th Grade	NY State Assessments English Language Arts 7th Grade	NY State Assessments English Language Arts 8th Grade	NY State Assessments Math 3rd Grade	NY State Assessments Math 4th Grade	NY State Assessments Math 5th Grade	NY State Assessments Math 6th Grade	NY State Assessments Math 7th Grade	NY State Assessments Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Ps 51 Elias Howe	Public	PK, KG-5	525 W 44th St	New York	10036	New York County	New York City Geographic District # 2	No	No	No	Yes	(212) 315-7160	451	38	11.9	76.7%	63 (14.0%)	58 (12.9%)	285 (63.2%)	32 (7.1%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	9 (2.0%)	43.2	1382^nd of 2445 public elementary schools	43.5%		52.9	1078^th of 2445 public elementary schools	55.9%	304			45.8	56.4	63.2				46.0	58.7	46.5			40.0	$33,921	$3,433	$30,489
Success Academy Charter School-Hudson Yards	Public, Charter	K-5	500 W 41st St	New York	10036	New York County	Success Academy Charter School-Hudson Yards	Yes	No	No	Yes	(212) 845-9683	365			64.4%	49 (13.4%)	71 (19.5%)	149 (40.8%)	60 (16.4%)	5 (1.4%)	1 (0.3%)	30 (8.2%)	95.1	79^th of 2445 public elementary schools	96.8%		96.5	52^nd of 2445 public elementary schools	97.9%	27			86.6	93.7					89.6	98.7					$18,987	$00	$18,987
Success Academy Charter School-Hell's Kitchen	Public, Charter	K-4	439 W 49th St-2nd Fl	New York	10019	New York County	Success Academy Charter School-Hell's Kitchen	Yes	No	No	Yes	(646) 790-2153	484			65.1%	51 (10.5%)	115 (23.8%)	184 (38.0%)	103 (21.3%)	18 (3.7%)	2 (0.4%)	11 (2.3%)	96.9	30^th of 2445 public elementary schools	98.8%		98.1	17^th of 2445 public elementary schools	99.3%	13			94.8	92.9					100.0	98.0					$15,215	$00	$15,215
Ps 212 Midtown West	Public	PK, KG-5	328 W 48th St	New York	10036	New York County	New York City Geographic District # 2	No	No	No	No	(212) 247-0208	308	22	13.7	50.6%	80 (26.0%)	26 (8.4%)	139 (45.1%)	35 (11.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (8.8%)	57.5	1002^nd of 2445 public elementary schools	59.0%		69.9	643^rd of 2445 public elementary schools	73.7%	359			68.6	45.2	78.1				64.3	44.2	57.9			60.0	$31,402	$1,677	$29,725
Ps 111 Adolph S Ochs	Public	PK, KG-5	440 W 53rd St	New York	10019	New York County	New York City Geographic District # 2	No	No	No	Yes	(212) 582-7420	398	40	9.9	76.9%	53 (13.3%)	68 (17.1%)	225 (56.5%)	35 (8.8%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.3%)	46.6	1281^st of 2445 public elementary schools	47.6%		47.6	1224^th of 2445 public elementary schools	49.9%	57			56.4	56.8	58.8				69.8	35.0	42.6			44.2	$37,483	$3,101	$34,382
Ps 452	Public	PK, KG-5	210 W 61st St	New York	10023	New York County	New York City Geographic District # 3	No	No	No	No	(212) 259-6222	404	24	16.8	34.9%	150 (37.1%)	39 (9.7%)	112 (27.7%)	77 (19.1%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.7%)	82.6	362^nd of 2445 public elementary schools	85.2%		87.2	272^nd of 2445 public elementary schools	88.9%	90			75.0	73.2	71.9				77.6	81.0	83.9			60.0	$28,744	$1,531	$27,213
Riverside School For Makers And Artists (The)	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-8	300 W 61st St	New York	10023	New York County	New York City Geographic District # 3	No	Yes	No	Yes	(347) 478-5228	480	50	9.5	86.0%	43 (9.0%)	87 (18.1%)	312 (65.0%)	24 (5.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	12 (2.5%)	6.5	2374^th of 2445 public elementary schools	2.9%		7.4	2378^th of 2445 public elementary schools	2.7%	4	14.3	23.1	7.1	20.7	31.3	9.1	19.2	17.1	20.7	25.9	11.8	22.2	17.2	21.2	$37,154	$3,628	$33,526
Ps 33 Chelsea Prep	Public	PK, KG-5	281 9th Ave	New York	10001	New York County	New York City Geographic District # 2	No	No	No	No	(212) 244-6426	606	42	14.5	59.9%	112 (18.5%)	94 (15.5%)	249 (41.1%)	100 (16.5%)	6 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	44 (7.3%)	61.8	900^th of 2445 public elementary schools	63.2%		72.2	591^st of 2445 public elementary schools	75.8%	309			70.2	53.6	66.7				62.8	53.3	60.7			59.1	$30,426	$2,244	$28,182
Ps 11 Sarah J Garnett Elementary School (The)	Public	PK, KG-5	320 W 21st St	New York	10011	New York County	New York City Geographic District # 2	No	No	No	No	(212) 929-1743	662	44	15.0	34.6%	281 (42.4%)	46 (6.9%)	170 (25.7%)	120 (18.1%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (6.2%)	90.2	190^th of 2445 public elementary schools	92.2%		92.9	150^th of 2445 public elementary schools	93.9%	40			83.5	85.3	85.5				84.5	88.6	80.0			66.7	$27,800	$1,919	$25,880
Ps 199 Jessie Isador Straus	Public	K-5	270 W 70th St	New York	10023	New York County	New York City Geographic District # 3	No	No	No	No	(212) 799-1033	570	42	13.5	23.9%	291 (51.1%)	20 (3.5%)	106 (18.6%)	111 (19.5%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (7.0%)	91.8	161^st of 2445 public elementary schools	93.4%		89.9	205^th of 2445 public elementary schools	91.6%	44			89.2	83.5	88.7				84.9	88.6	85.1			68.5	$30,023	$1,753	$28,271

Frequently Asked Questions about Ps 51 Elias Howe

What is the racial makeup of Ps 51 Elias Howe?

Students at Ps 51 Elias Howe are 63% Hispanic, 14% White, 13% African American, 7% Asian, 2% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Ps 51 Elias Howe attend?

Students who attend Ps 51 Elias Howe usually go on to attend:

Middle : Middle School 297

How many students attend Ps 51 Elias Howe?

In the 2024-25 school year, 451 students attended Ps 51 Elias Howe.

What district is Ps 51 Elias Howe in?

New York City Geographic District # 2

Is Ps 51 Elias Howe a good school?

Ps 51 Elias Howe ranks 1382^nd of 2445 New York elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Ps 51 Elias Howe!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the WNYC and the New York State Department of Health and the NY State Education Department.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.