Brooklyn Urban Garden Charter School (BUGS)

Brooklyn Urban Garden Charter School (BUGS) was founded in 2013 by parents, educators and community members who wanted a small middle school focused on social, economic, and environmental sustainability both in the classroom and outdoors. Over time, the school has refined its mission, offering hands-on learning and activities that support this vision.

BUGS has a welcoming community with plants in stairwells and classrooms, and three gardens. The school is committed to recycling and composting. Students come from across Brooklyn. 

Students engage in real-world problem-solving through projects like analyzing food deserts in math, designing solar ovens in science, and renovating local parks. In 6th grade, teens work on projects related to soil, plants, and food systems in local gardens. In 7th grade, they explore water and waste systems. Through the Trout in the Classroom program, they care for trout and release them during a trip upstate to the Frost Valley YMCA camp

In 8th grade, BUGS students focus on urban design, energy use, and air quality. They care for and renovate a community pocket park, monitor air quality, and study “green” urban design sites across NYC. All students take the Biology Regents, and students study algebra in the 8th grade. 

The school year starts in late August, earlier than the traditional public school. The school day includes optional breakfast or recess before classes and office hours after. Students with permission can leave campus for lunch, and they can join lunch clubs like theater, film and chess. Twice a day, students take part in “quiet time” for mindfulness and relaxation.

About a quarter of BUGS students have disabilities. The school offers team teaching in core classes and small group sessions. A Learning Specialist and ENL (English as a New Language) teacher assist students, and speech or occupational therapy is available. 

Most teachers have nearly 10 years of experience and stay at BUGS for about five years. While the student suspension rate has been above average in the past, the school has reduced it in recent years.  

Students may take a prep course for the Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT). A guidance counselor helps with high school admissions. Graduates attend a variety of high schools including Stuyvesant, Brooklyn Tech, Bard and Millennium Brooklyn. The largest number choose to attend Murrow.

BUGS shares the former Bishop Ford High School with a Pre-K center and MS 442. Students enjoy a large recess yard, gym, auditorium, three outdoor gardens and a hydroponics lab.

Admissions: By lottery. BUGS gives priority to students in low-income families, English Language Learners, siblings, and those from District 15. A weighted lottery prioritizes students learning English, but few are currently enrolled. (Lydie Raschka, web reports and interview, October 2024)