Bronx Leadership Academy High School

Introduction

Bronx Leadership Academy was founded in 1993 by South Bronx educators, church leaders and parents who wanted a safe, small, community-minded high school with high academic standards. BLA keeps those founding ideals in mind as it pushes students toward graduation and beyond in a close-knit setting designed to keep kids on track. The school isn’t perfect (about one in four kids don’t graduate), but serious-minded BLA students enjoy a level of attention and support rare in many Bronx schools.

BLA’s strictly enforced dress code calls for a white collared shirt, black dress shoes, and black or navy blue pants or a knee-length skirt. Boys must wear ties. Baseball caps are confiscated, and the principal keeps a large collection of contraband caps in his office.

The school features a full range of core academic courses as well as electives in art, music, photography and theater. Criminal law is a required course. After school, students have their choice of 16 clubs as well as homework assistance. Spanish is the only foreign language offered, even though a high percentage of BLA students speak Spanish at home.

Special education: About one in five BLA students has special needs. The school has self-contained classes plus Integrated Co-Teaching (ICT) classes. BLA also has Special Education Teacher Support Services (SETTS). Teachers can require that struggling students attend after-school tutoring sessions.

Admissions: BLA accepts students from Districts 9, 10 and 12. The school accepts about 150 students into 9th grade from roughly 2,000 who list BLA among their top three high school choices. As part of BLA’s Educational Option program, half of its students are chosen by the school, based on factors such as middle school attendance (more than 10 or 15 absences or tardies “raises a red flag for us,” Yip said) and whether students have attended a tour. Grades factor in but are less important. The other half of the incoming class is chosen by the Department of Education, which often gives priority to students who rank BLA as their No. 1 choice. (Skip Card, October, 2012)

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Uniform Policy:

A REMINDER!!!!

School Mandatory Uniform:

Men: White Button down shirts and tie. Navy Blue or Black Slacks. Blue or black shoes NO SNEAKERS
Women: White Button down shirts, Navy Blue or Black Slacks, Navy blue or black skirts, Blue or black shoes NO SNEAKERS

Failure to abide by these rules, you will be sent home.