Brooklyn Latin School is a world unto itself on the top floor of PS 147 in East Williamsburg. The school opened in September 2006 with a small 9th grade class. A secluded setting is fitting for an institution modeled on the venerable Boston Latin, a highly selective public school that has been in a class all its own since it was founded in 1635 as the first public school in America. Boston Latin is famous for its history (Benjamin Franklin is just one of a parade of illustrious students), the tough exam students must take for admission, its academic rigor, its emphasis on the classicsand the high number of graduates who go on to elite colleges and universities.