Academy of Environmental Science Secondary High School is housed in one of the first buildings to be divided into small schools—the former JHS 99 building in East Harlem. The school has struggled for years and in 2011 the Department of Education decided to phase it out. Current students were allowed to stay until 2014 but no new students were admitted. Although academic performance is low, most kids feel safe.

Renaissance Charter High School for Innovation, which shares the building, expanded as AES phased out. Manhattan East Middle School, a popular selective school that attracts children from across the city, and the Renaissance School of the Arts are also housed in the buiilding. (Clara Hemphill, August 2012)