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Our Insights

What’s Special

String music and dance

The Downside

Metal detectors, attendance is below average

High School for Violin and Dance is a tiny school that offers every student classes in string orchestra and dance. No prior experience is necessary. Students may choose to study violin, bass, cello or viola. In dance they sample modern, jazz, tap, hip hop and ballet. 

The school shares the Morris Educational Campus with other small schools in the Morrisania section of the Bronx, once a hub of Doo Wop and R&B music. 

Students meet for lessons for three to five days per week. They dance in the Puerto Rican Day Parade and showcase their work at two big concerts a year. There is also a graphic/visual arts program. 

Franklin Sim became principal in March 2011 after serving as assistant principal for many years. Before that, he taught math at Chelsea Vocational High School. He said research shows music and movement are good for the brain. "A large part of our budget is for instrumental repairs and concerts, because we believe in the arts," he said.

Students at the school face many challenges. Some live in homeless shelters, many are still learning to speak English, and about a quarter has special needs. Many are the first in their families to earn a high school diploma. The school is in one of the poorest congressional districts in the United States, home to 20 low-income housing developments. 

Getting children to school is struggle; more than two-thirds miss a month or more of school. There are two assistant principals and two guidance counselors who help follow up with phone calls and home visits.

Girls far outnumber boys. A boys' program meets once a week and the 60 or so boys take trips together, such as bowling or to a Broadway show. There is also a leadership and support group for girls. 

Four small schools share the building and all children pass through metal detectors. Violin and Dance shares a gymnasium with School for Excellence. The other two schools are Bronx International and Morris Academy for Collaborative Studies. (Lydie Raschka, web reports, October 2018)

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School Stats

Citywide Average Key
This school is Better Near Worse than the citywide average

Academics

School
Citywide
How many students graduate in 4 years?
 
77%
How many students with disabilities graduate in 4 years?
 
73%
How many English language learners graduate in 4 years?
 
64%
Average daily attendance
 
88%
How many students miss 18 or more days of school?
 
38%
From the 2021-22 School Quality Guide and 2020-21 NYC School Survey

Students

129
Number of students
Citywide Average is 599

Race/Ethnicity


School
Citywide
Low-income students
 
100%
Students with disabilities
 
34%
Multilingual learners
 
19%
From the 2022-23 Demographic Snapshot

Safety & Vibe

School
Citywide
How many students were suspended?
 
0%
How many students say they feel safe in the hallways, bathrooms and locker rooms?
 
89%
How many students think bullying happens most or all of the time at this school?
 
47%
How many students say that some are bullied at their school because of their gender or sexual orientation?
 
45%
From the 2020-21 NYC School Survey and 2019-20 NY State Report Card

Faculty & Staff

School
Citywide
How many teachers say the principal is an effective manager?
 
76%
11.6
Years of principal experience at this school
Citywide Average is 7
75
Number of students for each guidance counselor or social worker
Citywide Average is 157

Teachers’ Race/Ethnicity


How many teachers have 3 or more years of experience teaching?
 
88%
Are teachers effective?
From the 2020-21 NYC School Survey, 2021-22 School Quality Guide, 2019-20 Report on School-Based Staff Demographics, 2021 Guidance Counselor Report, and this school's most recent Quality Review Report

Advanced Courses

Which students have access to advanced courses at this school? Learn more

Calculus

 
23%

Computer Science

Not offered in 2019-20

Physics

Not offered in 2019-20

Advanced Foreign Language

Not offered in 2019-20

AP/IB Arts, English, History or Social Science

 
16%

AP/IB Math or Science

Not offered in 2019-20

Music

 
62%
From unpublished, anonymized data from the 2021-22 school year provided by the New York State Education Department, brought to you by

College Readiness

School
Citywide
How many students graduate with test scores high enough to enroll at CUNY without remedial help?
 
16%
How many students take a college-level course or earn a professional certificate?
 
70%
How many students who have graduated from this high school stay in college for at least 3 semesters?
 
38%
From the 2020-21 and 2021-22 School Quality Guide
How many students filled out a FAFSA form by the end of their senior year?
 
68%
From the 2022-23 FAFSA data released by Federal Student Aid, brought you by
For more information about our data sources, see About Our Data · More DOE statistics for this school

Programs & Admissions

From the 2024 High School Directory

Violin and Dance (X41A)

Admissions Method: Ed. Opt.

Program Description:

Students take 55-minute group lessons in string orchestra and/ or dance three to five times a week. In dance, students learn the fundamental positions and movements of classical and modern dance. In orchestra, students learn the foundations of music theory and technique.

Offerings

From the 2024 High School Directory

Advanced Courses

Algebra II (Advanced Math), AP Comparative Government and Politics, AP English Literature and Composition, AP Seminar, AP United States Government and Politics, Chemistry (Advanced Science)

Boys PSAL teams

Baseball, Basketball, Soccer

Girls PSAL teams

Badminton, Basketball, Soccer, Softball, Volleyball

Read about admissions, academics, and more at this school on NYCDOE’s MySchools

NYC Department of Education: MySchools

Contact & Location

Location

1110 Boston Road
Bronx NY 10456

Buses: Bx13, Bx15, Bx17, Bx21, Bx35, Bx41, Bx41-SBS, Bx6, Bx6-SBS


Contact

Principal: Franklin Sim

Parent Coordinator: Sarita Borrero

Website

Other Details

Shared campus? Yes

This school shares the Morris Educational Campus with three other schools

Uniforms required? No
Metal detectors? Yes

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