Overview
P.S. 261 Zipporiah Mills is a public elementary school in Brooklyn, New York, operating within New York City Public Schools (NYCPS). Its campus is located at 314 Pacific Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201, and it belongs to NYCPS Geographic District 15, with the District Borough Number 15K261 [2]. New York State records list the school’s legal name as PS 261 Zipporiah Mills, together with BEDS code 331500010261 and NYSED Institution ID 800000045155 [1].
The school’s NYCPS listing shows a grade span of PK, 0K, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, and SE [2]. State data report a total enrollment of 501 students for the 2024–25 school year [1]. Erica Davis is listed as principal in both the state profile and the NYCPS school page [1][2].
This profile summarizes what official sources state about the school’s identity, grade span, reported data, and family-facing services. It is descriptive rather than evaluative: the figures presented are single-year snapshots, and the sections below explain their reporting period and limitations.
Location and School Identity
The school’s verified address is 314 Pacific Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201. Its main telephone number is (718) 330-9275 and its fax number is 718-875-9503 [1][2]. The official school website is https://www.ps261brooklyn.org [1].
P.S. 261 occupies space in a building it shares with other schools, according to the NYCPS school page, which lists two building records at the same Pacific Street address: K261 and K982 [2]. Sharing a building does not mean that the schools sharing it have the same grade span, admissions rules, or programs; each school has its own NYCPS record.
New York City school numbers carry a borough letter, and the “K” in K261 corresponds to Brooklyn. The District Borough Number 15K261 combines the district number (15) with that borough letter [2]. Along with the state BEDS code and NYSED Institution ID [1], these identifiers are the most reliable way to confirm that a record refers to this school rather than to a different school with a similar number.
Grades and Academic Programs
According to NYCPS, P.S. 261 serves students in pre-kindergarten (PK), kindergarten (0K), grades 1 through 5, and special education (SE) designations [2]. This is an elementary grade span; the school’s NYCPS record does not list middle school grades.
Consistent with that span, the 2024–25 NYSED Student and Educator Report for the school publishes average class-size figures for kindergarten through grade 5, including separate averages for English language arts, mathematics, and grade 5 science sections [3].
The sources reviewed for this profile do not document specific curricular programs at P.S. 261 — such as a magnet theme, a dual-language program, an advanced academic track, or a specialized admissions pathway. Statements about such programs should be treated as unverified unless confirmed by the school or by NYCPS. General features that are common to New York City elementary schools are not evidence of a particular program at this school.
Enrollment and School Data
The figures in the table below come from official New York State and New York City sources and describe the 2024–25 school year unless noted. They are reported values for a single year and are not a measure of school quality.
| Measure | Reported value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Total students | 501 | [1] |
| Eligible for free lunch | 150 students (30%) | [3] |
| Eligible for reduced-price lunch | 6 students (1%) | [3] |
| Primary instructional modality | 100% in person; 0% remote; 0% both | [3] |
| Average class size, kindergarten | 15 | [3] |
| Average class size, grade 1 | 16 | [3] |
| Average class size, grade 2 | 25 | [3] |
| Average class size, English language arts, grades 3 / 4 / 5 | 11 / 11 / 15 | [3] |
| Average class size, mathematics, grades 3 / 4 / 5 | 12 / 12 / 20 | [3] |
| Average class size, science, grade 5 | 24 | [3] |
| Teachers | 45 | [3] |
| Social workers | 1 | [3] |
| Principals | 1 | [3] |
| School counselors | Shown as “0*”; footnote states the school/district did not report data | [3] |
| Suspensions | 0% (listed under “No Suspensions Reported”) | [3] |
Context and limitations
- Enrollment. The 501-student total is a 2024–25 count from the NYSED school profile [1]. Enrollment can change from year to year.
- Free and reduced-price lunch. The state report lists 150 students (30%) eligible for free lunch and 6 students (1%) eligible for reduced-price lunch [3]. These are eligibility counts based on household income criteria, not counts of students who eat school meals, and they describe the student population rather than school performance.
- Instructional modality. The report states that 100% of instruction was in person in 2024–25, with 0% remote and 0% both [3].
- Average class size. NYSED publishes average class size by class section and subject area, so the subject-level figures — for example, grade 3 English language arts at 11 and grade 5 science at 24 — describe sections rather than a single homeroom group [3].
- Staff counts. The report lists 45 teachers, 1 social worker, and 1 principal. School counselors are shown as “0*”, with a footnote stating that the school or district did not report the data; that entry indicates a reporting gap rather than a confirmed absence of counselors [3].
- Suspensions. The report shows 0% under “No Suspensions Reported” for 2024–25 [3].
State reports may suppress or omit values when counts are small or when data are not submitted, so a blank or asterisked field should not be read as zero.
Admissions and Enrollment
The NYCPS page for school K261 directs families to MySchools for “school-specific admission information” and links to the MySchools school directory [2]. The sources reviewed here do not state a specific admissions method for P.S. 261 — for example, whether the school has a zoned attendance boundary, whether it admits through a district-wide or citywide application, or whether any program within it has separate criteria.
Because admissions rules, application periods, and eligibility can change, families should confirm the current process directly with the school or through MySchools before relying on any general assumption. In particular, a school’s physical address does not by itself establish that a student living nearby is eligible to attend it, and sharing a building with another school does not imply shared enrollment rules.
Student Services and Family Information
Accessibility. NYCPS lists P.S. 261 as “Partially Accessible” [2]. Families with specific accessibility needs should contact the school to confirm how those needs would be met.
Meals. The NYCPS page lists breakfast from 8:00 AM to 8:30 AM and lunch from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM, with a free student meals menu, a “Breakfast Express” option, and a K–8 lunch menu; the page also links a Department of Health inspection report [2].
School contacts. The NYCPS page lists Principal Erica Davis (edavis3@schools.nyc.gov) and Parent Coordinator Weston Heather (hweston@schools.nyc.gov). It also lists a Respect for All Liaison (Alexander Messer), a Sexual Harassment Prevention Liaison (Sara Apfel), and a 504 Coordinator (Robyn Taragan) [2].
Mental health and wellness. NYCPS advises families to ask the parent coordinator, school social worker, or school counselor for information about the school’s mental health program [2]. For 2024–25, the state report lists one social worker and no reported school counselors [3].
District and council contacts. District 15’s superintendent is listed as Rafael Alvarez, and the Family Support Coordinator as Brenda Diaz, reachable at 718-935-3424; the district office address is 131 Livingston Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201. The District 15 Community Education Council president is listed as Katina Rogers, with the council reachable at 718-935-4267 [2].
Contact names, hours, and services can change. Readers should verify current details with the school or district.
How to Verify Current Information
Because school data, staffing, and admissions procedures are updated on different schedules, the following official sources are the appropriate places to confirm details:
- The school’s official website, https://www.ps261brooklyn.org, for school-level announcements and current contact information [1].
- The NYCPS school page for K261, https://www.schools.nyc.gov/schools/K261, for the district listing, accessibility status, meal times, staff contacts, and links to admissions information [2].
- The NYSED school profile for Institution ID 800000045155, https://data.nysed.gov/profile.php?instid=800000045155, for state-level enrollment and school climate records [1].
- The NYSED Student and Educator Report for 2024–25, https://data.nysed.gov/studenteducator.php?instid=800000045155&year=2025, for the free and reduced-price lunch, class-size, modality, and staffing figures cited here [3].
- MySchools (myschools.nyc), which NYCPS directs families to for school-specific admission information [2].