PS 163 ALFRED E SMITH vs PS 92 MARY MCLEOD BETHUNE

PS 163 Alfred E Smith holds a 0.7-point overall rating advantage over PS 92 Mary McLeod Bethune, scoring 8.7/10 against 8.0/10. That gap translates to a meaningful state rank difference: PS 163 Alfred E Smith sits at #166 of 4,742 schools in New York, placing it in the top 4% statewide, while PS 92 Mary McLeod Bethune ranks #664 of 4,742 — still a strong top-15% showing, but a notable step down from its crosstown counterpart.

On academics, PS 163 Alfred E Smith scores 9.3/10 versus PS 92 Mary McLeod Bethune's 8.8/10 — a half-point delta that reflects a measurable difference in tested proficiency. Growth tells the opposite story: PS 92 Mary McLeod Bethune edges ahead with a 10.0/10 growth score compared to PS 163 Alfred E Smith's already-strong 9.7/10. That near-perfect growth score signals that PS 92 is accelerating students at an exceptional rate relative to where they start, which matters most for families whose children are entering below grade level or who prioritize year-over-year momentum.

The demographic contrast between the two schools is stark. PS 163 Alfred E Smith enrolls 524 students with 66% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch and a student-teacher ratio of 13.1:1. PS 92 Mary McLeod Bethune is far smaller at 170 students, carries a 98% free/reduced lunch rate — indicating it serves one of the highest-need populations in the city — and maintains a tighter student-teacher ratio of 11.3:1. Families weighing class size and individual attention will find PS 92's ratio more favorable despite its more limited resources overall.

Both schools serve the same grade span, PK through 5th grade, so neither offers a structural coverage advantage for elementary-age children. At just 1.9 miles apart, geography alone won't decide this choice for most Manhattan families — the deciding factors are the academic achievement ceiling at PS 163 Alfred E Smith versus the exceptional growth trajectory and smaller, more intimate environment at PS 92 Mary McLeod Bethune.