PS 32 SAMUEL MILLS SPROLE vs PS 147 ISSAC REMSEN

PS 32 Samuel Mills Sprole holds a slight edge in overall rating over PS 147 Issac Remsen — 8.5/10 versus 8.2/10 — a 0.3-point gap that translates into a meaningful difference in state standing. PS 32 ranks #275 of 4,742 schools in New York, placing it in the top 6% statewide, while PS 147 ranks #510 of 4,742, still a strong top-11% finish but trailing PS 32 by 235 positions. Both schools are legitimate high performers in Brooklyn; the question for families is which trade-offs matter more.

Academically, the two schools are nearly identical: PS 147 Issac Remsen scores 8.7/10 versus PS 32 Samuel Mills Sprole's 8.6/10, a one-tenth-point difference that is statistically negligible. Where PS 147 pulls ahead more clearly is growth — the measure of how much students improve year over year — scoring a perfect 10.0/10 compared to PS 32's already-strong 9.6/10. That 0.4-point growth advantage at PS 147 signals a school that is exceptionally effective at accelerating student progress regardless of where children start, even as PS 32's raw academic output is essentially equivalent.

The schools differ sharply on size, staffing, and socioeconomic composition. PS 32 enrolls 448 students at an 8.3:1 student-teacher ratio, meaning more adults per child in a larger community. PS 147 enrolls just 185 students at a 13.2:1 ratio — a smaller school but with fewer staff relative to enrollment. The free and reduced-price lunch rates diverge even more starkly: 39% at PS 32 versus 85% at PS 147, indicating that PS 147 serves a substantially higher-need population. PS 147's perfect growth score in that demographic context is particularly notable.

Both schools serve grades PK through 05, so families are comparing like-for-like grade structures across a 3.4-mile distance within Brooklyn. Neither school has a grade-range advantage; the decision turns entirely on size, staff ratios, income mix, and whether a parent weights overall rank or student growth more heavily.