Details of a new charter school that is to be located at 2720 Jerome Avenue in Fordham Manor were presented during Bronx Community Board 7 Education, Youth and Libraries Committee meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 4.

 

Jhennelle Robinson, committee chairperson, said, “One of our priorities was to have amenities for our growing community.” She added, “They’re building all these buildings, but with that comes families, and children, and we’re already strapped for [school] seats, so we need to continue to support any new schools or education programs coming in.”

 

KIPP NYC public charter schools was founded in the South Bronx in 1995. It is not the largest charter school system in the city, but it is well established. According to its website, the group runs 15 free, public charter schools in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Harlem, and Washington Heights.

 

Through open enrollment, the group serves 5,970 students, 99 percent of whom are students of color, and continues to support 2,100 alumni. Twenty percent of students are classified as having special needs, and 88 percent qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

 

According to the KIPP NYC website, its staff and teachers comprise 65 percent people of color, and the group says it has a 95 percent average, student attendance rate.

 

Targeted for opening in Fall 2023, the new structure will comprise a five-floor, second elementary school and a middle school, serving 890 students. The site acquisition was completed in August 2020, and the site itself spans 95,500 gross square feet.

The K-8 building will include a high school regulation-size gym, a stage in the gym for auditorium use, a cafeteria / multi-purpose room, dedicated art, music and dance rooms, and a play terrace and outdoor ball field.

 

Jane Martínez Dowling and Mariela Meza presented the project, with Martínez Dowling highlighting that the school will not just be a charter school but a space that can also be used by the community.

 

Charter schools are free, public schools that are independently run and given freedom to innovate inside and outside the classroom, with the “charter” detailing the school’s mission, program, students served, performance goals, and methods of assessment.

 

Each charter is governed by a Board of Trustees comprised of community, business and education leaders. Despite their independence, charter schools and their Boards are still held accountable by the State for student performance, and charter school students take all required state assessments.

 

Literacy, science and math make up the core curriculum at KIPP NYC, with science being introduced to students at a much earlier stage than it is in other schools. Electives covering subjects from art to drama will also be offered, while mindfulness will be incorporated into the curriculum for all students.

 

Details of the construction phase of the project were requested by Bronx Community Board 7 District Manager Ischia Bravo, who wanted to know of any anticipated disruption to local residents or services during at the weekends or otherwise. A site visit will also be scheduled.

 

Plans are also underway by KIPP NYC to open a separate elementary school and middle school by 2023 in Mount Eden at 1504 Macombs Road. KIPP NYC anticipates 362 direct jobs and 263 indirect jobs to be created from the Jerome Avenue school.