Original Research by School Decision on Success Academy Charter School-harlem 5
Success Academy Charter School-Harlem 5 is a K-8 charter school operating across two separate Harlem buildings. The elementary grades (K through 4) are housed at one location, while grades 5 through 8 occupy a different building a few blocks away. Families should understand that this structure means a transition to a new physical location once their child reaches fifth grade, and the two buildings have different accessibility profiles; parents may want to visit both sites before enrolling to understand the layout and transportation logistics for their family.
The school enrolls a student body that is predominantly Black, with a substantial Hispanic population and smaller numbers of Asian, American Indian, and multiracial students. The white enrollment is very small. Detailed demographic breakdowns for students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, English language learners, and those with individualized education plans were not available in the data.
Academic performance data and state testing results were not available, so a picture of student achievement cannot be drawn from the materials on hand. The school's SUNY charter, which authorizes its operation, has recently passed renewal review with a recommendation to renew, securing the school's continued operation through the end of the decade. In that renewal process, SUNY found that Success Harlem 5 met its Accountability Plan goals and maintained a consistent track record of academic success, though the specific metrics behind that assessment were not detailed in the publicly available materials.
Among the districts across New York County, Success Academy Harlem 5 reports a chronic absenteeism rate that places it in the top quartile county-wide, meaning fewer students are chronically absent than the median district in the county. The school's per-pupil current spending is in the lower range for the county, reflecting operational choices or funding structures distinct from many neighboring districts.
Enrollment sits at a moderate size for an elementary-through-middle school, distributed across nine grades with slightly heavier enrollment in the upper elementary and middle grades. The school operates as a single administrative unit despite its two-building configuration. Parents considering this school should reach out directly about the specific academic programming, curriculum approach, and support services, as those details were not captured in this dataset. The recent charter renewal recommendation provides assurance of institutional stability, but prospective families may also want to learn more about the school's academic results and how the two-site model functions operationally for families with younger and older students.
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