St. Hope Leadership Academy Charter School, New York NY

Original Research by School Decision on St. Hope Leadership Academy Charter School

St. HOPE Leadership Academy is a charter school serving grades six through eight in Harlem, Manhattan. The school enrolls a small cohort of students, with the largest group in eighth grade. The student body is predominantly Black and Hispanic, and an overwhelming majority qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic circumstances of the neighborhood and the school's service population.

On state math assessments, the school's results show growth across the grade span. Sixth graders reach proficiency at a rate below the midpoint among New York County districts. By seventh grade, results improve noticeably. Eighth-grade math proficiency reaches the point where it sits near the middle range for the county, and participation in eighth-grade testing is notably stronger than in the lower grades. English language arts results are more uneven. Sixth-grade ELA proficiency is quite low; it rises moderately in seventh grade and settles at a similar level again in eighth. Science assessment data for eighth grade was not administered or reported. The school's overall proficiency index across tested subjects and grades places it in the bottom quartile among county districts.

Attendance and chronic absenteeism data were not available. Neither were counts or rates for students with individualized education plans or English learners, so a parent with a child in either population may want to contact the school directly about how it serves those students.

The school operates in the context of real enrollment pressure. According to publicly reported board minutes from 2025, the school has experienced significant enrollment declines attributed to several neighborhood factors: a shrinking population of migrant families in New York City, saturation of the charter-school market in the Bronx, and Harlem being one of the most difficult neighborhoods for charter recruitment. The board discussed the possibility of operating at a deficit and drawing on reserves rather than making immediate cuts, a decision that reflects both the financial tools the school has available and the uncertainty around sustaining current operations. In earlier years, the school had built a financial cushion that allowed for facility improvements; families considering the school may want to understand how recent enrollment trends affect its long-term stability.

The school also recently resolved a gap in special education services. According to board minutes, families with students on IEPs experienced a lapse in mandated speech therapy when the Department of Education did not provide an in-person speech therapist for the large number of students needing the service. In-person speech services resumed within the current school year, resolving the issue. Parents of students with disabilities should ask the school about how it coordinates with DOE for mandated services and how it handles gaps if they occur.

St. HOPE sits in a dense, walkable part of Manhattan, embedded in the block fabric of Harlem rather than on a separated campus. The neighborhood has extensive public transit, and the city has continued housing growth and investment, though Harlem's growth trajectory and affordability have evolved alongside broader city development. Housing costs in the zip code are above the state median and have seen modest recent increases in rent. The school's middle-school footprint means it does not serve high school; families should plan for transition to a high school after eighth grade.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

New York Regents Exams

2 courses reported · 2024-25

End-of-course exams required for a New York Regents diploma. Each row shows the cohort size and the share of students scoring at the proficient level or higher.

Course	Students tested	% proficient
Social Studies	64	36.0%
Science	60	8.0%

Math

Grade 642%

School 42% · district not reported

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 756%

School 56% · district not reported

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 862%

School 62% · district not reported

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 62 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 629%

School 29% · district not reported

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Grade 747%

School 47% · district not reported

even with state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 845%

School 45% · district not reported

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Science

Grade 80%

School 0% · district not reported

▼ 33 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

This schoolDistrict average, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.