Success Academy Awarded $9.8 Million by U.S. Department of Education to Open and Expand Schools

**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, April 15, 2019**

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

SUCCESS ACADEMY AWARDED $9.8 MILLION BY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO OPEN AND EXPAND SCHOOLS

Grant Will Fund the Opening of 4 New Elementary Schools, 1 Middle School, and 1 High School

New York, NY — Success Academy was one of 15 charter management organizations from around the country awarded a Charter Schools Program (CSP) grant by the U.S. Department of Education to open new schools and expand existing schools. The grant, totaling $9,842,050, will fund the opening of four new elementary schools, one new middle school, and one new high school. It will also fund the expansion of four existing middle schools to include grades seven and eight and will allow six existing elementary schools to offer pre-kindergarten.

“Success is ready to open more great schools, and the City has become painfully aware of the lack of access children of color have to high-quality education,” said Eva Moskowitz, founder and CEO of Success Academy. “But these schools can’t open because the City is refusing to provide space in one of the 212 half-empty school buildings. The only thing standing between New York City children and a good education is Mayor de Blasio.”

In 2017, Success Academy requested space to open three new elementary schools, and again in 2018. Each time, the de Blasio administration denied the request. This year, Success received more than 17,600 applications for about 4,100 available seats and had to turn away thousands of children.

“My son is waitlisted for 1st grade and I hope that he is accepted. We shouldn't have to pay an exorbitant amount of rent just to live in an area where our children get a quality education,” said Tamara Araujo-Cooper, parent of a child on Success Academy’s waitlist. “If Success Academy is able to give our children what the Department of Education is unable to, why not help Success Academy help the children of New York City? Why not give Success Academy the space that it needs so more children have this opportunity?”

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Innovation and Improvement’s Charter Schools Program provides funds to create promising new public charter schools, to replicate high-quality public charter schools, and to disseminate information about effective practices within charter schools.

The grant will fund costs of educational materials, supplies, equipment, and training; minor facilities repairs and necessary renovations for building code and legal compliance; it does not cover construction or rental costs of facilities.

Success Academy enrolls primarily low-income children of color, by lottery, and has been recognized for closing the opportunity gap, with uniformly high student achievement across all demographics. Last year, Success Academy’s students with disabilities, English language learners, economically disadvantaged and homeless students all passed the state exams at higher rates than New York City white students.

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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 47 schools across Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan, and Queens, Success Academy enrolls 17,000 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. For more information about Success Academy, go to Successacademies.org and virtualtour.successacademies.org.