PS 15 ROBERTO CLEMENTE vs CENTRAL PARK EAST II

PS 15 Roberto Clemente and Central Park East II are separated by just 0.1 overall rating points — 9.2 versus 9.3 out of 10 — yet their state rank gap is more meaningful. Central Park East II ranks #12 of 4,739 schools in New York while PS 15 Roberto Clemente ranks #20 of 4,739, placing both schools in the top fraction of a percent statewide. Parents choosing between two elite neighborhood schools are splitting a very fine hair, but the differences beneath those headline numbers are real and directionally distinct.

On academic score, PS 15 Roberto Clemente leads with a 9.1/10 against Central Park East II's 8.6/10 — a half-point gap that reflects meaningfully stronger current proficiency levels. The growth picture flips: Central Park East II posts a perfect 10.0/10 growth score versus PS 15 Roberto Clemente's already-strong 9.5/10, meaning Central Park East II is accelerating student progress at the highest measurable rate in the state. Families who prioritize where a child starts should note PS 15's academic edge; families who prioritize trajectory and year-over-year gains should weight Central Park East II's growth score.

PS 15 Roberto Clemente enrolls 190 students against Central Park East II's 422, making it a considerably smaller school community. Both schools run unusually low student-teacher ratios — 7.9:1 at PS 15 Roberto Clemente and 7.2:1 at Central Park East II — so individual attention is strong at either campus. PS 15 Roberto Clemente serves a higher share of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch at 86%, compared to 73% at Central Park East II, indicating PS 15's community faces greater economic pressure on average.

The grade-span difference is the most concrete structural distinction: PS 15 Roberto Clemente serves PreK through grade 5, requiring a middle school transition after fifth grade, while Central Park East II runs PreK through grade 8, allowing students to stay through the middle school years without a school change. For families with multiple children or who want to minimize transitions, Central Park East II's extended grade span eliminates one enrollment cycle entirely.