Mayor Eric Adams and Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos celebrated the return of nearly one million public school students and staff on Thursday morning by taking part in a ribbon-cutting at the new Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Early College Prep High School in Jamaica, the first-of-its-kind for New York City Public Schools.
The new school, located at 88-15 182nd St., brings an innovative, tuition-free, early college high school experience to students, where they can earn up to 64 college credits for an associate degree in Liberal Arts from Delaware State University, an HBCU.
The Sept. 4 ribbon-cutting event welcomed the first cohort of students with performances and words of encouragement while marking the beginning of a transformative school year, which will include the expansion of signature initiatives in NYC Reads and NYC Solves, the internet-enabled device policy designed to limit distractions in the classrooms, and significant investment in hiring more teachers, among other major announcements.
“We are ringing in the school year with more investments to prepare our students for bold futures,” Adams said. “Today, we are opening seven new public schools across the five boroughs, including the first HBCU Early College Prep High School, expanding programs for students with autism, rolling out our first batch of 5,000 new after-school seats, and so much more as we invest in our students and families.”
HBCU Early College Prep opened its doors for more than 100 ninth grade students as part of a historic first day, led by founding principal and HBCU alumnus Dr. Asya Johnson. The school’s structure is rooted in the rich legacy of HBCU’s and offers students a comprehensive experience that includes college courses, Greek life, Founder’s Day activities, Mr. and Miss Freshman competitions, Homecoming celebrations and more.
“We are thrilled to start the school year with these new investments, offering schools that honor our students’ rich backgrounds and histories and meet local needs, provide rigorous instruction, and prepare all of our students for the future,” Adams said. “Our administration is laser-focused on making New York the best place to raise a family, and that starts with providing our kids with a quality education.”
With more than 1,600 schools serving diverse communities across the five boroughs, New York City Public Schools remain dedicated to reflecting these communities while upholding excellence and preparing students for success in college, career, and life.
“The first day of school is my favorite day of the year,” Aviles-Ramos said. “As I watched my own daughter prepare for her first day of middle school, I was reminded of the tremendous trust families across the city place in us with their most precious gifts, their children. That is why we are committed to delivering on our promise to provide a world-class education that prepares every single student for success.”
Thursday also kicked off the new cell phone and electronic device policy, in line with the New York state mandate passed this year in Albany.
“This year, we’ve opened seven brand-new, innovative schools, launched a device policy that will create more focused learning environments, and expanded our incredibly successful NYC Reads and NYC Solves programs to 186 additional schools across our system,” Aviles-Ramos said. “I am beyond proud to lead New York City Public Schools in this groundbreaking work, and I can’t wait to see our students thrive throughout this new school year.”
