A new public middle school serving students in grades 6-8 in District 9 is set to open in the Bronx’s Highbridge neighborhood in September.
M.S. 644, also called the Bronx Debate Academy, is one of nine new schools slated to open throughout the city in the 2024-2025 school year, according to Schools Chancellor David C. Banks, who on April 4 presented information on all the new programs. The Bronx Debate Academy, whose motto is “Think – Serve – Lead,” will be located at 1302 Edward L. Grant Highway. The school will focus on debate, Spanish-English language immersion and experiential learning in real-life topics including social justice, according to DOE information.
The school will offer Saturday programming and extended hours until 4:00 p.m. to allow for participation in enrichment activities such as dance, chess, sports, school newspaper and more.
The principal of M.S. 644 will be Kamero Neblett, originally from Kentucky, who has nine years’ experience in teaching and school administration and lives in District 9. Neblett has never been a principal before, but has filled the role during a colleague’s maternity leave. He also has extensive experience as a debate coach, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Neblett said at the event that debate is a powerful tool for young people’s intellectual growth.
“What I like most about debate is it focuses on how a debater thinks as opposed to what to think,” he said. “This idea of focusing on thinking is going to be the foundation of how we look at instruction and how we look at student learning.”
Local elected officials expressed praise for the new Bronx offering.
“We are excited to bring a new middle school to District 9 in the 77th Assembly District,” said Assembly Member Landon Dais, who lives in Highbridge and came into office following a special election in February. “The children in our community deserve a quality education that will allow them to reach their potential to be great New Yorkers.”
Overall, the nine new programs reflect a DOE effort to alleviate overcrowding in certain schools and provide more innovative options for families in the post-pandemic era.
“Since this pandemic we’ve said we’ve gotta do school differently,” Banks said. “We can’t just return to doing it the way we’ve always done it.”
Additional reporting by Kristyn Brendlen.
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
