The first day of school at Success Academy Unionport Middle School, which opened on August 12, 2024.
Photo courtesy Success Academy
Success Academy is in the process of opening three new schools in the Bronx, adding more options to the borough that has the city’s highest number of charter schools. Once all three are open, there will be 13 Success Academy locations in the Bronx and 57 across the city.
The academy opened a middle school in Unionport this week and will open an elementary school in Kingsbridge next week, as well as one in Williamsbridge.
“I was thrilled to be able to provide a new, convenient elementary school option,” said Ali Foglia, the founding senior leader and principal of the soon-to-open Kingsbridge Heights school. The school is opening in a neighborhood with only one other charter option.
The Bronx has 94 of the city’s 274 charter schools, according to the New York City Charter School Center, which helps support and advocate for charter options. These types of schools are publicly funded and tuition-free but privately run, meaning they can face less oversight than traditional public schools and have more flexibility in setting curriculum and policies.
The academy says it provides free uniforms, Chromebooks and a well-rounded and rigorous curriculum.
Success Academy prides itself on the students it produces, noting the 100% acceptance rate into four-year colleges and universities, with many receiving full scholarships — which it has achieved for each of its three high school graduating classes across the city. The network also says it significantly outperforms other charter schools and Department of Education schools when it comes to state test scores.
But the rigors may come at a cost for some. A local investigation included the story of a South Bronx family who said that Success Academy made 911 calls regarding elementary school children experiencing emotional distress. According to the report, the…
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