BACK TO SCHOOL: NEW YORK CITY CHARTER SCHOOLS KICK OFF 2018-2019 SCHOOL YEAR WITH RECORD NUMBERS

13 New Charters Open, Including First-Ever Career Technical Education Public Charter School

With NYC Reaching Limits On Available Charters, Advocates Call For An Elimination of the Cap

(NEW YORK) – As New York’s charter sector prepares to celebrate 20 years since the passing of the state’s charter schools law, NYC charter schools – many of which opened their doors in August – are enrolling a record number of students for the 2018-2019 school year, the New York City Charter School Center announced today. With an estimated 120,000 students enrolled in 236 public charters schools across NYC, the number of families opting for high quality charters continues to grow. This year saw record demand from parents, with 79,600 applicants for only 26,900 available seats.

“More families than ever are benefiting from the high quality options provided by charter schools. Whether its new schools opening or existing schools replicating, NYC charters are exploring new ways to innovate and evolve to best educate an ever broader student population,” said Charter Center CEO James Merriman. “Unless the legislature addresses the arbitrary cap on NYC charter schools, this progress will not only be stymied, but families will also lose access to the high quality options they are seeking for their children. Clearly, it is time to eliminate the cap once and for all.”

Among the key data points this year:

13 new public charters opened in all five boroughs for the 2018-2019 school-year, including four high schools and two middle schools.
The 13 schools are an equal mix of new, independent charters and replications of existing, successful charters.
Several of the new charters are offering unique programs:
- The Urban Assembly Charter School for Computer Science in the Bronx will be the sector’s first-ever charter Career Technical Education (CTE) school providing students with an advanced start in preparing for either college or careers post high school.
- Lois and Richard Nicotra Early College Charter School has partnered with St. John’s University to allow students to earn college credit while still in high school.
- Edmund W. Gordon High School for the Applied Sciences is re-thinking high school by developing a new personalized approach for its students.
- Urban Dove has replicated its transfer high school program to support over-age, under-credited students.
There are now 120,000 public charter school students across 236 schools in all five boroughs. They account for 10 percent of New York City’s total public school population.
Demand continues to grow – an estimated 79,600 applicants applied for nearly 26,900 available seats, leaving tens of thousands of families disappointed. Additional information on enrollment lottery can be found here.

With more than 52,700 students without access to seats in NYC alone, and with the number of available new charters running dangerously low, the Charter Center and other advocates are pushing New York State to pass new legislation that will remove the current arbitrary restrictions on creating more charter schools in New York City. Currently, there are 28 charters available to be issued in NYC, and most of these are part of a reserve pool. Without a legislative solution, future charter schools won’t be able to open, leaving parents without options for the high quality public school seats they are seeking. To view the Charter Center’s Fact Sheet on the Charter Cap, please click here.

The 13 charter schools opening this year include two charter middle schools and four charter high schools – an uptick from previous years. New 2018-2019 charter schools include:

Bronx

Bronx Charter School for Excellence 4 (Elementary School)
Emblaze Academy Charter School (Middle School)
KIPP Freedom Charter School (Elementary School)
The Urban Assembly Charter School for Computer Science (High School)
Urban Dove Team Charter School II (Transfer High School)
Zeta Charter School 2 (Elementary School)

Brooklyn

Edmund W. Gordon High School for the Applied Sciences (High School)
Cypress Hills Ascend Charter School (Early Childhood)
Key Collegiate Charter School (Middle School)

Queens

Elm Community Charter School (Elementary School)
Our World Neighborhood Charter School 2 (Elementary School)

Staten Island

Lois and Richard Nicotra Early College Charter School (High School)

Manhattan

Zeta Charter School 1 (Elementary School)

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