4th Grade Math Whiz and Choreographer Wants to Stay at Success Academy

**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, NOVEMBER 15, 2019**

Contact: Liz Baker, 646-902-4200 [email protected] Contact: Ann Powell, 646-894-6407 Ann.Powell@successacademies.org

FOURTH GRADE MATH WHIZ AND CHOREOGRAPHER WANTS TO STAY AT SUCCESS ACADEMY

Nine-Year-Old Mekhi Creighton Wants to Continue Learning at Success Academy, Where he has Excelled in Both Math Competitions and Dance Choreography — But Mayor de Blasio Won’t Give Him a Permanent Middle School

Springfield Gardens, NY – Mekhi Creighton is Success Academy Springfield Gardens’ reigning math bee champion. He snagged first place this year after coming in second in the 2018 competition. This year’s winning math bee question required him to add two three-digit numbers in 10 seconds or less. “Math is my favorite subject, because the numbers have relationships and you can use them to get to the answers in different ways,” said Mekhi. “I like going to a school that has math bees and teaches us difficult math concepts.” In addition to exercising his quantitative chops, Mekhi serves as an assistant choreographer to SA SG’s dance teacher, Mr. Rousell. A performer through and through, Mekhi has been the star of many productions at SA Springfield Gardens, including the Black History Month open mic night and the winter and spring dance showcases. In his spare time, Mekhi competes on the SA SG basketball team. Mekhi is one of the Success Academy fourth graders without a permanent middle school next year. After 33 months of delay, the mayor has failed to fulfill his promise to provide a permanent school. Although the city proposed a private site on Wednesday, they have yet to provide Success staff a tour of the building. Mekhi and 226 other children will have to return to district schools, where on average only one in three students is able to read or do math at grade level. Mekhi is zoned to attend fifth grade at P.S. 116, where 23% of students met state standards in ELA and 18% passed math. “My sister goes to Success Academy Queens 1 Middle School. I want to have the same opportunities that she has,” said Mekhi. He wants to go to a middle school with a dance room and a gym so he can continue to choreograph dances and play basketball. ### ABOUT SUCCESS ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOLS

Founded in 2006, Success Academy Charter Schools are free public K-12 schools open to all children in the state through a random lottery. With 45 schools across Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan, and Queens, Success Academy enrolls 18,000 students, primarily children of color from low-income households in disadvantaged neighborhoods: 74% receive free or reduced-price lunch, 94% are students of color, 16% have disabilities, and 8% are English language learners. Success Academy schools received more than 17,000 applications for about 4,000 open seats for the 2019-20 academic year.

For more information about Success Academy, go to successacademies.org.