Charter schools in the Bronx gear up for the new year

Originally published on News12

BRONX, NY (August 26th, 2019): 

As students gear up for the new year, charter schools in the borough are continuing to make strides through the success of its students. Boys Prep Bronx Elementary Charter School closed out last year with impressive state test scores, and now the CEO of the school's networks says they are ready for an even better year. According to the 2019 English Language Arts and Math state test results, Bronx charter school students are performing at the same level or better than public school students statewide. Data shows that Bronx students in grades three to eight who were charter students outperformed the state by 12 and 15 percentage points in ELA and math respectively. Ian Rowe, the CEO of Public Prep Network, says that's an impressive feat for kids in the Bronx considering a large percentage are facing economic obstacles at home. Despite these challenges Rowe says 70% of students at the school passed the state math test compared to just 26% districtwide. Officials at the school say they want to work with the mayor to lift the cap on charter schools in an effort to build even more schools in the Bronx. Boys Prep Bronx Elementary  School starts Sept. 3.