Renaissance High School for Musical Theater and the Arts

Renaissance High School for Musical Theater and the Arts, housed on the Herbert H. Lehman High School campus, offers classes in the performing and visual arts along with a regular academic program. No audition is required for admission.

Incoming students choose from one of four disciplines to concentrate in, including visual arts, vocals, instrumental music and theater. Students may also participate in additional arts clubs in musical theater, dance and drama.

Longtime principal Maria Herrera gets high marks from teachers, based on their responses to the annual NYC School Survey. Herrera, principal since 2008, was a Cahn Fellow at Teachers College, a program that recognizes strong leadership. She came to the United States from Chile at the age of 15 and has a particular interest in helping English Language Learners and others who may have trouble in school.

Many students arrive with weak academic skills, and while the school helps them catch up in performance, most still need to take remedial courses once they get to college. Some Renaissance students do well enough to take Advanced Placement courses and College Now classes at Lehman College.

Renaissance occupies a wing of the huge Lehman High School complex, and while the facilities are modest, students do enjoy some of the benefits of a big school experience. They may participate in any of the campus-wide athletic teams and during the school day have access to the cafeteria, auditorium, three gymnasiums, library, athletic fields and an onsite health clinic run by Montefiore Hospital.

The Young Women’s Leadership Network's College Bound Initiative funds a robust college support program, which includes guidance for students and families and trips to college campuses.

ADMISSIONS: Priority to Bronx students. Admission is based on the educational option formula, which aims for a mix of low-, average- and high-achieving students. (Laura Zingmond, web reports, December 2018)