As the NYC graduation rate has increased to 78.8 percent in 2020 and 84.8 percent statewide, one Bronx school is leaving those numbers in the dust.
World View High School, 100 West Mosholu Parkway South, a public college prep high school, has a graduation rate of 94.4% in 2020 and 93 % from 2019.
While the Kingsbridge school has only existed for eight years, Assistant Principal Courtney Cramer feels the warm welcoming environment and rigorous curriculum helps the students succeed and want to be there.
“We’ve really done a good job as a school community,” Cramer said. “We don’t make the numbers part of the process, but we do make the students aware of their accomplishments.”
According to Cramer, it’s not just about making sure kids do well academically but helping them become better men and women and supporting their emotional well-being.
Cramer told the Bronx Times the staff has high expectations for the kids and it is their goal to prepare them for college and beyond. She noted the school has a high attendance rate, which attributes to success in the classroom.
World View has a Montefiore clinic on-site, offers tutoring services, goes on field trips, has college advisors, a partnership with Rockefeller University, a hydroponic farm on campus, heavily involved parents, a 1:1 laptop initiative, college and career readiness classes and a peer mentoring program that helps kids transition to high school.
Junior Paola Mirla reflected on why she feels the graduation rate is high and what impact the school has had on her. The teen stressed that unlike many schools, she was surprised that very few kids cut class and seem to genuinely want to be there.
She explained that the clubs and sports have made school more fun, but it’s the staff and faculty that should be acknowledged.
“Personally I feel very welcome at the school,” she commented. “It makes you feel you’re in a big family.”
