PS 32 SAMUEL MILLS SPROLE vs PS 48 MAPLETON

PS 48 Mapleton edges PS 32 Samuel Mills Sprole by a razor-thin 0.1 points in overall rating — 8.6 versus 8.5 out of 10 — but the state rank gap tells a more meaningful story. Mapleton sits at #221 of 4,742 New York schools, placing it 54 spots ahead of PS 32 Samuel Mills Sprole at #275. Both schools rank in the top 6% statewide, so Brooklyn families are genuinely choosing between two high-performing elementary schools, not a clear frontrunner and a fallback.

The academic and growth scores actually flip that headline comparison. PS 32 Samuel Mills Sprole holds a 0.3-point academic edge — 8.6 versus Mapleton's 8.3 — suggesting stronger current test performance. On growth, the two schools are nearly identical: PS 32 Samuel Mills Sprole scores 9.6 and PS 48 Mapleton scores 9.5, meaning students at both schools are advancing at exceptional rates relative to their starting points. Neither school posts a meaningful gap in how much students improve year over year.

The sharpest contrast between the two schools is demographic. PS 48 Mapleton serves a much higher share of economically disadvantaged students — 87% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch compared to 39% at PS 32 Samuel Mills Sprole. That 48-point gap reflects fundamentally different community compositions across these two Brooklyn neighborhoods, despite the schools sitting just 4.1 miles apart. PS 32 Samuel Mills Sprole also runs a notably smaller classroom environment: its student-teacher ratio is 8.3:1 versus Mapleton's 10.8:1, meaning roughly 2.5 fewer students per teacher on average — a tangible structural difference for families who prioritize individual attention.

Both schools serve grades PK through 05, so the grade range is identical. Enrollment is close but not equal: PS 48 Mapleton has 496 students compared to PS 32 Samuel Mills Sprole's 448, making Mapleton the slightly larger campus. Families weighing school culture and resource allocation should factor in that Mapleton achieves its strong ratings while serving a significantly higher-need student population — a signal of institutional effectiveness under more demanding conditions.