Is Middle School 297 a good school?

Middle School 297 ranks 885 th of 1504 New York middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Middle School 297?

In the 2022-23 school year, 422 students attended Middle School 297.

What is the racial makeup of Middle School 297?

Students at Middle School 297 are 35% White, 35% Hispanic, 16% African American, 7% Asian, 7% Two or more races.

Middle School 297

Summary:

Middle School 297 is a public middle school located in New York City's Geographic District #2, serving grades 6-8 with a student population of 422. The school has seen a decline in its statewide ranking over the past few years, dropping from a high of #149 out of 1,242 New York middle schools in 2020-2021 to #885 out of 1,504 in the current 2023-2024 school year, corresponding with a drop in its SchoolDigger star rating from 4 stars to 2 stars.

Middle School 297's academic performance, as measured by proficiency rates on state assessments, is generally lower than the district and state averages, with proficiency rates ranging from 38.78% to 57.14% in English Language Arts and 37.04% to 41% in math, compared to the district's 71.51% to 73.27% and 74.91% to 80.12%, and the state's 43.64% to 51.88% and 50.56% to 57.08%, respectively. The school's performance also varies significantly across different student subgroups, with White and Multi-racial students performing relatively well, while Hispanic, English Language Learner, and Low Socioeconomic Status students perform significantly worse.

Despite the increase in per-student spending at Middle School 297, from $11,935 in 2019-2020 to $19,629 in the current 2022-2023 school year, the school's academic performance has not shown a corresponding improvement. When compared to nearby schools within the same district, such as Lower Manhattan Community Middle School and Nyc Lab Middle School For Collaborative Studies, Middle School 297 consistently underperforms on state assessments and has lower statewide rankings.

Detail:

Public 6-8

75 Morton St
New York, NY 10038

(212) 295-7555

District: New York City Geographic District # 2

SchoolDigger Rank:
885^th of 1,504 New York Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $19,629

Feeder schools for Middle School 297:

Elementary:	Battery Park City School
	Ps 11 Sarah J Garnett Elementary School (The)
	Ps 111 Adolph S Ochs
	Ps 234 Independence School
	More...
	Ps 3 Charrette School
	Ps 33 Chelsea Prep
	Ps 41 Greenwich Village
	Ps 51 Elias Howe
	Ps 89

Student/teacher ratio: 9.5

Number of students: 422

Racial breakdown:

White:

34.6%

Hispanic:

34.6%

African American:

15.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 54%

See top rated New York middle schools

Compare Middle School 297 to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Middle School 297 ranks worse than 58.8% of middle schools in New York. It also ranks 11^th among 12 ranked middle schools in the New York City Geographic District # 2. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 41.46. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Middle School 297 is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (34.6%), White (34.6%), African American (15.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 54% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Middle School 297 is 9.5, which is the 4^th best among 12 middle schools in the New York City Geographic District # 2. (See more...)

Compare Middle School 297 employs 44 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Middle School 297 is $19,629, which is the 4^th highest among 12 middle schools in the New York City Geographic District # 2.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Middle School 297:

SchoolDigger ranks Middle School 297 885^th of 1504 New York public middle schools. (See Middle School 297 in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Homeless students:

Female students:

Male students:

Asian students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

New York City Geographic District # 2:

SchoolDigger ranks New York City Geographic District # 2 335^th of 865 New York school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Middle School 297.

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Rank History for Middle School 297

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Rank History for all students at Middle School 297

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NY State Percentile
2019	82.06	216^th	1439	85.0%
2021	83.40	149^th	1242	88.0%
2022	82.08	204^th	1479	86.2%
2023	62.20	506^th	1500	66.3%
2024	41.46	885^th	1504	41.2%

See the entire list of New York Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Middle School 297

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NY State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	85.55	27^th	190	85.8%

See the entire list of Best New York Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Middle School 297

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NY State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	86.00	14^th	581	97.6%
2024	33.79	446^th	615	27.5%

See the entire list of Best New York Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Middle School 297

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NY State Percentile
2019	91.58	42^nd	1139	96.3%
2021	69.70	86^th	522	83.5%
2022	74.92	154^th	1283	88.0%
2023	53.11	461^st	1307	64.7%
2024	61.62	318^th	1303	75.6%

See the entire list of Best New York Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Middle School 297

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NY State Percentile
2019	65.62	322^nd	1241	74.1%
2021	77.66	141^st	935	84.9%
2022	63.40	337^th	1306	74.2%
2023	37.13	851^st	1288	33.9%
2024	26.13	1052^nd	1296	18.8%

See the entire list of Best New York Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at Middle School 297

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NY State Percentile
2019	32.99	286^th	392	27.0%
2022	49.37	208^th	487	57.3%
2023	29.58	424^th	543	21.9%
2024	14.63	569^th	594	4.2%

See the entire list of Best New York Middle Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Middle School 297

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NY State Percentile
2019	77.88	258^th	1370	81.2%
2021	78.82	160^th	1066	85.0%
2022	80.39	208^th	1454	85.7%
2023	61.34	511^th	1463	65.1%
2024	45.39	798^th	1465	45.5%

See the entire list of Best New York Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Middle School 297

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NY State Percentile
2019	85.05	167^th	1366	87.8%
2021	84.35	122^nd	1071	88.6%
2022	80.97	213^th	1455	85.4%
2023	55.94	583^rd	1464	60.2%
2024	33.32	1025^th	1464	30.0%

See the entire list of Best New York Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Middle School 297

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NY State Percentile
2021	65.53	84^th	236	64.4%
2022	69.43	111^th	381	70.9%
2023	55.60	194^th	388	50.0%
2024	29.50	316^th	396	20.2%

See the entire list of Best New York Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Middle School 297

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NY State Percentile
2019	41.68	349^th	653	46.6%
2022	51.71	288^th	706	59.2%
2023	53.14	298^th	696	57.2%
2024	36.92	453^rd	705	35.7%

See the entire list of Best New York Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Middle School 297

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NY State Percentile
2019	53.54	325^th	826	60.7%
2021	77.90	67^th	449	85.1%
2022	66.75	219^th	914	76.0%
2023	33.71	640^th	943	32.1%
2024	20.24	842^nd	953	11.6%

See the entire list of Best New York Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Middle School 297

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NY State Percentile
2019	87.80	62^nd	716	91.3%
2021	79.03	100^th	614	83.7%
2022	84.33	91^st	748	87.8%
2023	76.02	174^th	772	77.5%
2024	67.70	219^th	778	71.9%

See the entire list of Best New York Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: NY State Education Department, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: NY State Education Department

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Friday, November 1, 2019

School teaches nothing to advanced students, who sit in classrooms bored and learning nothing. Also, there are a lot of disruptions in the classes. The school administration for the most part ignores bad behavior. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Middle School 297

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2018	116	18	14	37	0	3	5	193
2019	306	52	45	129	1	3	23	559
2020	443	78	67	217	5	4	38	852
2021	370	93	71	241	5	1	35	816
2022	257	82	49	182	3	2	34	609
2023	146	66	31	146	2	1	30	422

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Middle School 297

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2018	193	13.0	14.8	30.1
2019	559	38.0	14.7	27
2020	852	60.0	14.2	31.5
2021	816	57.0	14.3	43.5
2022	609	53.6	11.3	47.1
2023	422	44.0	9.5	54

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Middle School 297

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2018	193	13.0	14.8	30.1
2019	559	38.0	14.7	27
2020	852	60.0	14.2	31.5
2021	816	57.0	14.3	43.5
2022	609	53.6	11.3	47.1
2023	422	44.0	9.5	54

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Middle School 297

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$73 (0.6%)	$12,085 (99.4%)	$12,159
2020	$55 (0.5%)	$11,880 (99.5%)	$11,935
2021	$425 (3.2%)	$12,705 (96.8%)	$13,130
2022	$2,510 (15.2%)	$13,986 (84.8%)	$16,496
2023	$1,969 (10.0%)	$17,660 (90.0%)	$19,629

Data source: New York Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Middle School 297

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 216^th of 1439 Middle schools	Ranks 506^th of 1500 Middle schools	18.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Middle School 297)	70	42.4	27.7%
6th Grade English Language Arts (New York City Geographic District # 2)	78	76	2.1%
6th Grade English Language Arts (New York)	47	45.8	1.2%
6th Grade Math (Middle School 297)	65	30.8	34.2%
6th Grade Math (New York City Geographic District # 2)	74	70.7	3.3%
6th Grade Math (New York)	47	48.1	1.1%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Middle School 297)	58	65.5	7.4%
7th Grade English Language Arts (New York City Geographic District # 2)	73	77.3	4.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts (New York)	40	48	8%
7th Grade Math (Middle School 297)	54	57.6	3.6%
7th Grade Math (New York City Geographic District # 2)	74	76.9	2.9%
7th Grade Math (New York)	44	51.9	7.9%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	559	422	24.5%
African American	52	66	26.9%
American Indian	1	2	100%
Asian	45	31	31.1%
Hispanic	129	146	13.2%
Pacific Islander	3	1	66.7%
White	306	146	52.3%
Two or More Races	23	30	30.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	27%	54%	27%

Schools Near Middle School 297

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Regents Living Environment (2024)	Regents U.S. History and Government (2024)	Regents Algebra I (2024)	NY State Assessments English Language Arts (2024)					NY State Assessments Math (2024)					NY State Assessments Science (2024)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
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 (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Regents Living Environment End of Course	Regents U.S. History and Government End of Course	Regents Algebra I End of Course	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 4th Grade	NY State Assessments Math 5th Grade	NY State Assessments Math 6th Grade	NY State Assessments Math 7th Grade	NY State Assessments Math 8th Grade	NY State Assessments Science 5th Grade	NY State Assessments Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Middle School 297	Public	6-8	75 Morton St	New York	10038	New York County	New York City Geographic District # 2	No	No	No	No	(212) 295-7555	422	44	9.5	54.0%	146 (34.6%)	66 (15.6%)	146 (34.6%)	31 (7.3%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	30 (7.1%)	41.5	885^th of 1504 public middle schools	41.2%		62.2	506^th of 1500 public middle schools	66.3%	379	74.4		54.2			38.8	44.1	57.1			37.0	41.0				$19,629	$1,969	$17,660
Nyc Lab Middle School For Collaborative Studies	Public	6-8	333 W 17th St	New York	10011	New York County	New York City Geographic District # 2	No	No	No	No	(212) 691-6119	519	44	11.7	36.4%	151 (29.1%)	17 (3.3%)	66 (12.7%)	248 (47.8%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	35 (6.7%)	96.3	54^th of 1504 public middle schools	96.4%		97.5	29^th of 1500 public middle schools	98.1%	25	92.9		97.7			78.8	90.4	84.1			90.5	88.0				$17,335	$580	$16,755
Is 289	Public	6-8	201 Warren St	New York	10282	New York County	New York City Geographic District # 2	No	No	No	No	(212) 571-9268	239	21	11.2	45.2%	73 (30.5%)	14 (5.9%)	34 (14.2%)	93 (38.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	24 (10.0%)	92.6	106^th of 1504 public middle schools	93.0%		91.9	103^rd of 1500 public middle schools	93.1%	3			96.6			67.1	85.4	82.3			71.4	87.1	77.3		70.0	$17,792	$1,133	$16,659
Ballet Technical/Nyc Public School For Dance	Public, Magnet	4-8	890 Broadway	New York	10003	New York County	New York City Geographic District # 2	No	Yes	No	No	(212) 254-1803	116	13	8.6	46.6%	40 (34.5%)	22 (19.0%)	18 (15.5%)	21 (18.1%)	2 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (11.2%)	98.3	21^st of 1504 public middle schools	98.6%		96.8	39^th of 1500 public middle schools	97.4%	18			100.0	86.4	73.9	84.2	100.0	94.4	95.5	73.9	89.5	95.7		72.7	84.2	$21,554	$1,693	$19,861
Middle School 131	Public	6-8	100 Hester St	New York	10002	New York County	New York City Geographic District # 2	No	No	No	Yes	(212) 219-1204	236	45	5.1	93.2%	6 (2.5%)	28 (11.9%)	67 (28.4%)	131 (55.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	3 (1.3%)	56.1	605^th of 1504 public middle schools	59.8%		48.2	759^th of 1500 public middle schools	49.4%	154	87.5	80.0	69.7			37.7	46.5	48.5			45.1	72.0			50.8	$37,222	$2,610	$34,612
School For Global Leaders	Public	6-8	145 Stanton St	New York	10002	New York County	New York City Geographic District # 1	No	No	No	Yes	(212) 260-5375	151	19	7.9	90.7%	8 (5.3%)	31 (20.5%)	93 (61.6%)	16 (10.6%)	2 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	44.3	823^rd of 1504 public middle schools	45.3%		56.4	595^th of 1500 public middle schools	60.3%	228			66.7			23.1	28.2	41.7			27.7	57.1	69.8		44.2	$27,408	$2,344	$25,064
Middle School 255 Salk School Of Science	Public	6-8	320 E 20th St	New York	10003	New York County	New York City Geographic District # 2	No	No	No	No	(212) 614-8785	364	25	14.3	21.7%	185 (50.8%)	8 (2.2%)	44 (12.1%)	101 (27.7%)	3 (0.8%)	2 (0.5%)	21 (5.8%)	97.7	32^nd of 1504 public middle schools	97.9%		97.6	28^th of 1500 public middle schools	98.1%	4	97.9		98.9			81.8	92.4	90.1			91.1	94.9				$15,437	$365	$15,072
Junior High School 104 Simon Baruch	Public	6-8	330 E 21st St	New York	10010	New York County	New York City Geographic District # 2	No	No	No	No	(212) 674-4545	891	58	15.3	40.4%	312 (35.0%)	67 (7.5%)	155 (17.4%)	280 (31.4%)	4 (0.4%)	4 (0.4%)	69 (7.7%)	91.2	120^th of 1504 public middle schools	92.0%		91.6	107^th of 1500 public middle schools	92.9%	13	91.1		98.7			76.9	80.7	78.6			77.8	81.5	52.3			$14,879	$751	$14,128
Tompkins Square Middle School	Public	6-8	600 E 6th St	New York	10009	New York County	New York City Geographic District # 1	No	No	No	Yes	(212) 995-1430	323	20	16.3	67.5%	68 (21.1%)	45 (13.9%)	166 (51.4%)	36 (11.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	7 (2.2%)	52.3	675^th of 1504 public middle schools	55.1%		67.2	433^rd of 1500 public middle schools	71.1%	242			100.0			45.4	61.0	61.0			33.0	58.1	35.0		30.6	$21,156	$2,430	$18,725
University Neighborhood Middle School	Public	6-8	220 Henry St	New York	10002	New York County	New York City Geographic District # 1	No	No	No	Yes	(212) 267-5701	160	28	5.7	86.9%	11 (6.9%)	42 (26.3%)	95 (59.4%)	4 (2.5%)	2 (1.3%)	1 (0.6%)	5 (3.1%)	41.8	880^th of 1504 public middle schools	41.5%		25	1204^th of 1500 public middle schools	19.7%	324	23.3		21.3			34.3	54.6	64.5			35.1	30.3				$42,535	$3,468	$39,067

Middle School 297

Middle School 297:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

New York City Geographic District # 2:

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Middle School 297

Rank History for all students at Middle School 297

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Middle School 297

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Middle School 297

Rank History for Special Education students at Middle School 297

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Middle School 297

Rank History for Homeless students at Middle School 297

Rank History for Female students at Middle School 297

Rank History for Male students at Middle School 297

Rank History for Asian students at Middle School 297

Rank History for African American students at Middle School 297

Rank History for Hispanic students at Middle School 297

Rank History for White students at Middle School 297

Review counts

Enrollment information for Middle School 297

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Middle School 297

Student/Teacher Ratio Middle School 297

Per Pupil Expenditures for Middle School 297

Impact of COVID-19 on Middle School 297

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Middle School 297

Frequently Asked Questions about Middle School 297

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