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THE
STORY
OF
BRONX
ARTS
Need
Bronx Arts is located in Hunts Point, a section of the South Bronx in New York City. Hunts Point has been experiencing a prolonged period of growth characterized by new and renovated housing, economic development, and a thriving arts community. Quality education, however, is lagging behind. Neighborhood schools are slowly improving, but test scores prove that they still trail behind other schools in the state. For example, recent results from the New York State English Exam from a local school showed that only 38% of the 4th grade students are reading at grade level. Bronx Arts was founded by an entrepreneurial group of educators, parents, and community residents in response to this critical need for quality education in the South Bronx.
Key Dates in Bronx Arts History
1999-2002: Bronx Arts founding team, led by Xanthe Jory, convenes to draft charter proposal and create educational plan for Bronx Charter School for the Arts.
2002: New York State Board of Regents awards charter to Bronx Charter School for the Arts. Shortly after receiving the charter, Bronx Arts wins, in succession, the National Social Venture Competition sponsored by Columbia and Berkeley business schools and major grants from Goldman Sachs, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the National Council of La Raza.
2002-2003: One-and-a-half year start-up period with a staff of six allows for more advance planning than is typical of most charter schools.
July, 2003: Bronx Arts founding instructional staff is hired and convenes for first annual Summer Institute.
September, 2003: Bronx Charter School for the Arts opens its doors to 162 students in grades K-3.
August, 2004: Bronx Arts relocates to its state-of-the-art permanent facility on Longfellow Avenue in Hunts Point. The school increased to 200 students in grades K-4.
April, 2005: Bronx Arts celebrates its first annual Arts Week.
September, 2005: The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts selected Bronx Charter School for the Arts as a Creative Ticket National School of Distinction. Only five schools in the nation were awarded this honor.
September, 2006: Bronx Arts begins its fourth year in operation and it is the first year that we will have a 6th grade graduating class.
June, 2007: The school graduates its first class of 6th graders.
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