New School for Arts and Sciences

The New School for Arts and Sciences closed in June 2009, after years of poor performance. The building now houses Banana Kelly High School and Holcombe L. Rucker School.For your transcript or proof of graduation, call Banana Kelly High School at 718-860-1242

Founded in 2002 as an alternative school that relied not on tests but "portfolio assessments"evaluation of assembled student work the school shifted to a Regents-driven curriculum in 2004 after the founding principal left. A struggling school that served a large English Language Learner population as well as many students requiring special education services, the New School for Arts and Sciences never gained its footing to succeed. The Department of Education began phasing it out in 2005 and the last students graduated in 2009. (Pamela Wheaton/Laura Zingmond)