Original Research by School Decision on Success Academy Charter School-bronx 5 Lower
Success Academy Charter School-Bronx 5 Lower is a very small elementary school serving only kindergarten and early first grade, with a student body that is predominantly Hispanic and Black. The enrollment is small enough that it functions as a single cohort moving together through the early grades. Specific data on free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility and counts of English learners or students receiving special education services are not publicly available for this school.
The school sits in a transition. Success Academy Charter Schools has sought and received approval from the SUNY Board of Trustees to convert this Mott Haven-based school into a separate entity called Strive Charter School, effective as of the time this data was compiled. That conversion carries meaningful operational changes. Rather than operating on a standard school day and calendar, Strive will run an extended-day, year-round model: the school opens at 7:00 a.m. and closes at 7:00 p.m., operates across all five weekdays, and runs for substantially more days per year than a traditional public school calendar. Core teacher hours are built into this span, with additional optional hours available to families. This is not a minor schedule shift; it fundamentally reshapes how the school day and week and year function for families who enroll.
The new Strive entity will be independent of Success Academy's direct network, though it will have access to Success Academy's instructional curriculum and will receive a newly renovated school building. The transfer was approved in October 2025.
State testing results are not available for this grade band, as kindergarten and first grade are not tested in New York's state assessment system. A graduation rate does not apply. Chronic absenteeism data shows attendance well below the median for Bronx County's districts, which may warrant a conversation with the school about what drives that pattern and how the school is addressing it.
Because this school is undergoing a structural conversion and organizational separation, a parent considering enrollment should speak directly with the school or Strive leadership about the extended-day and extended-year model, how it aligns with their family's needs and work schedule, and what the transition timeline looks like. This is not a standard charter school pathway; it is a purpose-built extended-day program now operating under new management.
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