Bard High School Early College is expanding its network of schools across New York City with a new Bronx location that plans to open in September, just in time for the 2023-2024 academic year.
The selective public high school will be the first of its kind in the borough, offering prospective students a multitude of unique opportunities, including the chance to graduate with an associate’s degree from Bard College and an additional 60 transferable credits. The school distinguishes itself from similar programs by providing both high school and college education within one building.
The new Bard High School Early College location will open at 1619 Boston Road in Morrisania, which is also home to two other high schools and a middle school. The Bronx is new territory for the educational network, which already operates two locations in Manhattan and Queens, and seven more across the country.
The new location ultimately plans to serve up to 500 students, but will be starting at a much smaller scale, with limited first-year admissions of 100 rising ninth graders and 25 rising 11th graders.
Students admitted to Bard typically come from “diverse socioeconomic, ethnic, and academic backgrounds that reflect the communities in which the schools are located,” according to the school’s website. This is consistent with the school’s enrollment policy for the new Bronx location.
Despite the small size of its first incoming class, Bard officials say they are committed to prioritizing enrollment for students who already live or study in the South Bronx. This means more seats for students who come from school districts 7, 9 and 12, according to a proposal document submitted to the Panel for Educational Policy (PEP), who recently approved the opening of the school on April 19. Students from districts 8, 10 and 11 will also be prioritized over other citywide applicants, though to a lesser degree.
According to the document submitted to the PEP, existing locations received more than 900 applications from students in the Bronx for the 2022-2023 school year, signaling a “strong demand” for the school’s presence in the borough.
Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson praised the school in a statement responding to its approval by the PEP, calling it “a great day for the Bronx and a great day for education.”
“The Bronx is on the edge of a renaissance, and we need our schools to equip our students for the future,” she said.
The deadline to apply for fall admission to Bard High School Early College in Morrisania has been extended to May 12. Applicants will be selected based on their responses to two writing prompts, a two-minute video and average course grades.
Families interested in learning more about the new location are invited to attend an upcoming open house at the school’s auditorium on Monday, May 8 at 6 p.m. The information session will give students and parents a chance to tour the school and meet its acting principal.
For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
