Original Research by School Decision on Brilla Caritas Charter School
Brilla Caritas Charter School is a young elementary charter network that opened in the Bronx's University Heights neighborhood in 2020 and has expanded significantly since then. The school began with kindergarten alone and has grown to serve students from kindergarten through grade four, with middle grades now being added to create a continuous pathway through eighth grade. The school sits within Bronx County's charter landscape, where it operates as one of a large number of district-equivalents across the county.
The enrollment is small for its grade band. About a third of students are in kindergarten, with the remaining students split fairly evenly across grades one through three. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with smaller populations of Black, Asian, and other students. The specific makeup and any data about free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility or students with disabilities or English learners are not available from the school's reported data, so a parent interested in understanding the full student profile should reach out to the school directly.
State testing results are not available. Because the school serves only grades K-4, students in most of these grades are not assessed through New York's standard state testing window, which explains the missing academic performance data. This means there is no basis to compare the school's achievement outcomes to those of other elementary schools in the county or state. For families considering this school, direct conversation with educators about curriculum, classroom experience, and student progress would be necessary to form a picture of academic trajectory.
The school's recent educational changes may be of interest to families. The Brilla network has overhauled its English language arts and mathematics instruction, implementing a science-of-reading phonics approach in the early grades and introducing a new math curriculum built on Eureka Math with classical content. These changes affect both current students and those entering now.
One notable feature is continuity of enrollment. The school has built out a pathway that now extends from kindergarten through eighth grade within the Brilla system, meaning families do not need to transition their children to a different school at the traditional middle-grade break. Additionally, the network has established a designated high school option through Vertex Partnership Academies, an International Baccalaureate charter high school in the Soundview section of the Bronx that opened in 2022 and admits Brilla students, creating a defined K-12 route.
Among Bronx County's districts, the school's chronic absenteeism rate sits above the county median. This metric, which captures students missing substantial amounts of school, is higher than the typical district in the county. A parent may want to understand this number further with the school, particularly what supports exist for families facing attendance barriers and how the school works with families on consistent enrollment.
The school is relatively new to the landscape and continues to develop. Growth has been steady, and the expansion to serve middle grades as of fall 2025 represents a significant operational shift. For families weighing enrollment, the school represents a charter option with a clear grade-level pathway and recent curricular investment, though families will need to seek information directly about academic results and student outcomes, as publicly reported testing data do not yet exist for this school.
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