A new Bronx elementary school focused on students with autism and intellectual disabilities will open this fall, combining specialized education with an arts-centered curriculum designed to help students build confidence and communication skills.
The Bronx School of Arts and Exploration will welcome around 140 students, from kindergarten to second grade this September across two campuses, with plans to eventually expand to eighth grade. The school will offer visual arts, music, dance classes alongside math and literacy curriculum, while teaching students daily life skills.
Principal Jeffrey Bugajski said the school was created to meet growing demand for specialized programs serving students with disabilities while giving families another option closer to home.
“I’ve been told there is a real need for our type of school in the Bronx,” Bugajski said. “Parents need to feel comfortable sending their children to school and know they’re going to be provided with the right support.”
As a District 75 school, the Bronx School of Arts and Exploration will provide individualized support for students with autism, intellectual disabilities and other significant learning needs. Classrooms will serve either six or eight students with one teacher and one paraprofessional, allowing staff to provide more individualized instruction and support.
The need for additional specialized programs in the Bronx is apparent. The Bronx has the highest number of students enrolled in special education among New York City’s five boroughs for the past four years, with 7,554 students enrolled. District 9, which includes neighborhoods near the new school, also has the city’s largest shortage of special education seats.
Unlike many District 75 schools where arts programming is one component of the school day, Bugajski said the new school was intentionally designed to place the arts at the center of students’ educational experience.
Unlike many District 75 schools where arts only supplement the curriculum, Bugajski said the Bronx School of Arts and Exploration was intentionally designed to make the arts a central part of students’ education.
“I wanted the arts to take a front seat instead of a side seat,” he said.
The idea grew out of Bugajski’s two decades working in education. In a previous role as an assistant principal in Queens, he watched students who were minimally verbal in the classroom transform during school performances.
“We really saw them step out of themselves,” Bugajski said. “They could sing and they could do two-step movements, but you put them back in the classroom and they wouldn’t even say good morning to you.”
“There was just something about that stage. Some students really thrive, and they need that extra spotlight on them.”
Bugajski said those moments reinforced his belief that the arts can provide another avenue for students to communicate, build confidence and showcase abilities that may not emerge in a traditional classroom setting.
In addition to arts instruction, students will follow structured daily schedules that include literacy, math, physical education, music and art. Teachers will use visual schedules, communication supports and classroom routines tailored to students’ individual needs while incorporating life skills throughout the school day.
“I want to level the playing field for everybody,” he said. “I want to give our kids that chance to shine.”
As the school’s opening approaches, Bugajski said much of his summer has been spent meeting with incoming families and helping them navigate the transition into District 75. The most common questions, he said, have centered on student safety, transportation and communication support.
Because some students with autism are prone to wandering or are nonverbal, he said parents want reassurance that their children will be in a secure environment with staff trained to meet their individual needs. The school also plans to hire bilingual staff to better support families whose primary language is not English.
The Bronx School of Arts and Exploration will operate from a main campus at 1717 Fulton Ave., alongside P.S. 4, and a second site within P.S. 73. Students are placed through the Department of Education’s District 75 placement process rather than by direct enrollment.
Reach Marina Samuel at msamuel@schnepsmedia.com. For more coverage, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
