PS 133 FRED R MOORE vs PS 153 ADAM CLAYTON POWELL

PS 133 Fred R Moore and PS 153 Adam Clayton Powell rank among the top elementary schools in New York State, but PS 133 edges ahead with a 9.5/10 overall rating versus PS 153's 9.3/10 — a 0.2-point gap that places PS 133 at #3 of 4,739 New York schools and PS 153 at #13. Both schools sit in the top 0.3% of the state, meaning families choosing between them are comparing genuine outliers rather than weighing a strong school against a weak one.

Academically, PS 133 Fred R Moore scores 9.2/10 against PS 153 Adam Clayton Powell's 8.8/10 — a 0.4-point difference that reflects a meaningful gap in tested proficiency at this rating tier. On growth, the two schools are functionally identical: PS 133 earns a perfect 10.0/10 versus PS 153's 9.9/10, indicating both schools drive exceptional student progress relative to peers statewide. Families prioritizing raw academic attainment will find PS 133 the stronger option by the numbers, while either school delivers near-best-in-state growth trajectories.

The most concrete structural difference between these two schools is size and adult attention. PS 133 Fred R Moore enrolls 187 students with a student-teacher ratio of 7.5:1, while PS 153 Adam Clayton Powell serves 389 students at 11.4:1 — more than twice the enrollment and a ratio that gives PS 133 families roughly one additional adult per four students. Both schools serve high-need populations: PS 133 carries a 95% free and reduced lunch rate versus PS 153's 89%, meaning each school is doing its exceptional academic work with predominantly low-income student bodies.

Both PS 133 Fred R Moore and PS 153 Adam Clayton Powell serve grades PK through 5, making them structurally equivalent for families with children from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. Separated by just 1.2 miles in New York City, geography alone is unlikely to be the deciding factor. The meaningful deltas come down to classroom intimacy at PS 133 and the slightly broader community scale at PS 153.