At a Glance
One of Manhattan's tiniest elementary schools — where a 2.5:1 adult-to-child ratio redefines what "small class" means.
Best suited for
Families in or near East Harlem — particularly those seeking a deeply individualized, small-scale elementary experience for their child — will find Reece's model genuinely unusual in New York City.
What stands out
- A 2.5:1 student-teacher ratio — there are more teachers (44) than there are students per teacher in most classrooms, signaling an intensely individualized instructional model.
- Total enrollment of just 110 students across pre-K through fifth grade means every grade level is tiny and every child is known by name.
- As a nonsectarian private school in a working-class neighborhood, Reece offers a private-school option to families who would not typically access Manhattan private education.
- The student body closely mirrors the surrounding East Harlem community, making the school feel embedded in its neighborhood rather than apart from it.
Things to consider
- The school only goes through fifth grade — families will need a separate plan for middle and high school.
- With only 110 students total, the peer group at any given age is very small, which is a feature for some families and a limitation for others.
- The model is built around heavy adult staffing; families should expect an instructional style that looks quite different from a typical elementary classroom.
- Located in a higher-poverty neighborhood — commuting families should factor in the surrounding context even if the school itself is safe and well-run.
- Tuition, financial aid, and admissions selectivity are not reflected in the available data and should be confirmed directly with the school.
Identity
Reece is a nonsectarian, coeducational elementary school that goes from pre-K through fifth grade, founded on a model of extremely small, individualized learning. The 2.5:1 student-teacher ratio is the defining structural feature — it tells you that instruction here is fundamentally one-on-one or in very small groups, not classroom-based in the traditional sense. There is no religious affiliation, so families of any background can enroll.
Community
The student body is heavily Hispanic (about 47%) and Black (about 40%), with a meaningful multiracial group and very small White and negligible Asian representation. The diversity index of 0.77 indicates a genuinely mixed community rather than a homogeneous one. The demographics closely track the surrounding East Harlem neighborhood, suggesting Reece serves the families who live nearby.
Neighborhood
The school sits in the southern stretch of East Harlem, where median household income sits around $44,000 and roughly 30% of households live below the poverty line — a working-class, demographically mixed part of upper Manhattan. About 38% of neighborhood adults hold a bachelor's degree, and the area is served by the 6 line at 103rd Street, with the 2 and 3 lines a few blocks farther west.
The 103rd Street 6 train is about a 5-minute walk from the school, with the 110th Street 6 stop roughly 8 minutes away and the 110th Street–Malcolm X Plaza 2/3 station about 9 minutes on foot.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is REECE SCHOOL a good school?
- Published quality ratings aren't available for REECE SCHOOL yet on Motley. It's a private school serving grades Pre-K to 5 in East Harlem (South).
- What grades does REECE SCHOOL serve?
- REECE SCHOOL serves grades Pre-K to 5.
- How do students get into REECE SCHOOL?
- REECE SCHOOL runs its own private admissions process — typically an application, a visit, and sometimes testing.
- Is REECE SCHOOL public, charter, or private?
- REECE SCHOOL is a private school.
- What neighborhood is REECE SCHOOL in?
- REECE SCHOOL is in East Harlem (South), Manhattan.