PS 48 MAPLETON vs PS 361 EAST FLATBUSH EARLY CHILDHOOD SCHOOL

PS 361 East Flatbush Early Childhood School holds a clear edge in statewide standing, ranking #16 of 4739 schools in New York compared to PS 48 Mapleton's #72 — a 56-position gap that places both schools in the top 2% of the state, but puts PS 361 in genuinely elite territory. The overall rating difference is 0.3 points (9.3 vs. 9.0), a narrow margin that nonetheless reflects consistent advantages across multiple scoring dimensions.

On academics and growth, PS 361 East Flatbush leads on both counts. Its academic score of 8.8/10 outpaces PS 48 Mapleton's 8.3/10 by half a point, and the growth score gap is tighter but consistent — 9.9 vs. 9.5. That growth figure means PS 361 students are advancing faster relative to their starting points, which matters especially for families weighing long-term trajectory over a single-year snapshot. PS 48 Mapleton's 9.5 growth score is still strong in absolute terms, placing it well above most Brooklyn peers.

Both schools serve high-need populations: PS 48 Mapleton's free and reduced lunch rate is 87%, PS 361 East Flatbush's is 90% — effectively equivalent and among the highest in the borough. PS 361 runs slightly smaller, with 364 students versus PS 48 Mapleton's 496, and that size difference shows up in the student-teacher ratio: 9.6:1 at PS 361 compared to 10.8:1 at PS 48 Mapleton. Families prioritizing smaller class sizes and more individual attention will find a structural advantage at PS 361.

One concrete programmatic difference separates the two schools at the youngest ages: PS 48 Mapleton serves pre-kindergarten through grade 5, while PS 361 East Flatbush Early Childhood School starts at kindergarten. Families with pre-K-age children who want to stay in one building through 5th grade will find only PS 48 Mapleton offers that continuity. The two schools sit 2.4 miles apart in Brooklyn, making geography a practical factor for families weighing the tradeoff.