Why this matters
NCES pupil:teacher ratio is enrollment ÷ full-time-equivalent teaching staff. It isn't class size — specialists, resource teachers and coaches pull the ratio down without changing what's happening in a classroom — but a lower ratio generally means more adult attention per student.
What we're seeing
At PS 9 SARAH SMITH GARNET SCHOOL (THE), the student:teacher ratio has fallen 1% over the 5-year window — from 16.5:1 in 2020 to 16.3:1 in 2024. The gap vs US average of 15.4:1 is roughly flat (~0.9:1 above).