East New York Family Academy

East New York Family Academy, serving grades 6 to 12, is a small school with a tight-knit community. Students often attend the school with siblings or cousins; most are known to all the teachers in the school. The administrative team has been working together almost since the school's founding in 1993.

Two graduates loved the school so much that they came back as teachers. Anthony Yard, a former pro-basketball player who coaches the girls’ basketball team, has been principal since 2013. Students appear to feel at home and at ease in East New York Family Academy's classrooms and hallways, popping in and out of administrators' offices or borrowing the microwave to heat up lunch.

Despite a dozen classes crammed into six schoolyard "portables," rectangular trailers that house two classrooms each, the rooms are cheery and bright. The main building, formerly a Young Men's Hebrew Association, has small classrooms, a multipurpose "cafetorium," and a swimming pool.

The school's size means that it doesn't offer as many advanced courses as larger schools. While most students graduate on time, many are not prepared for college and must take remedial classes if they attend.

Admissions: The middle school is open to students in District 19. Applicants are ranked according to their academic records and an interview. For high school, admission is screened, but students with grades of 55 or 60 and test scores below Level 2 are admitted. (Pamela Wheaton, November 2013, updated, December 2018)