At a Glance
A small Bronx secondary school where tight family trust meets a maxed-out program catalog
Best suited for
Families who want a small, high-trust Bronx high school with serious programming and AP access, and who can absorb a longer subway commute.
Overall Rating
Rating = average of 4-year graduation, English Regents college-ready and Regents completion · DOE 2025 report
Bands are Motley's thresholds on a 0–100 scale, not New York State performance levels.
How this is scored→What stands out
- Program catalog scores a maximum 100/100 on richness — uncommon for a 255-student school
- Zero suspensions, against a district average suspension rate of roughly 0.4%
- 99% parent satisfaction, parent-teacher trust, and parent-principal trust — among the highest in the district
- Roughly 470 applicants for 86 seats — a 20% offer rate that makes admissions genuinely competitive
- Expanded Success Initiative for Young Men plus a deep slate of arts, athletics, and AP offerings packed into a small building
Things to consider
- The 13–18 minute walk from the nearest subway is a real commute — worth thinking through in winter and bad weather
- Only 10% of neighborhood households have children, so most families likely travel in from elsewhere rather than walking over
- 31% of students have IEPs — a genuine strength, but families should know the school runs a heavy inclusion model
- Small enrollment means fewer course sections and a tighter social circle than a comprehensive high school
- The surrounding neighborhood has high poverty and low adult educational attainment, even though the school itself serves families well
Based on 2024-25 data
School SummaryDistrict 9
Frederick Douglass Academy III sits in District 9, where peer schools include strong charters like Icahn 1 and Success Academy Bronx 2 — it competes for attention with selective charters but holds its own on climate and programming. With a 100/100 program richness score and 99% parent satisfaction, it lands clearly among the district's relationship-stronger options.
Academics
The school's academic profile is anchored by AP courses, a humanities track, and built-in ELL support, with computer science and world languages rounding out the offering. The 31% IEP share is well above the citywide norm and points to a substantial inclusion model — a meaningful academic reality on its own terms. The program richness score hits the maximum 100/100, an unusual feat for a 255-student school and a signal that students aren't shortchanged on electives or advanced coursework just because of size.
Culture
Climate is the standout. Zero suspensions, against a district average suspension rate around 0.42%, is genuinely unusual for a secondary school, especially one serving a high-need population. Parent trust metrics are essentially maxed out at 99%, teacher collegial trust is at 95%, and 96% of teachers rate instruction quality positively — meaningfully above the district's 90% mark. The teacher survey base is small (24 respondents), so those numbers should be read as directional rather than definitive, but the overall picture is remarkably consistent.
Community
The student body is 58% Hispanic, 39% Black, 1% White, and 1% Native American, with a diversity index of 44% — moderately diverse by city standards but heavily concentrated in two groups. The economic need index of 92.7 places the school among the highest-need secondary schools in the system. Thirty-one percent of students have IEPs, well above the citywide average, which reflects an inclusion-first approach rather than a tracking issue. Demographically, the school mirrors the surrounding neighborhood almost exactly.
Neighborhood
Claremont Village-Claremont (East) is a predominantly renter neighborhood — homeownership sits at just 2.7% — with a median household income around $30,500 and a poverty rate above 44%. Only about 10% of households include children, which is unusually low and means the school draws families from a broader geography than its immediate blocks. The adult educational profile is also low: just 11.4% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
There are no subways within a quick walk — the closest options are 170 St on the B and D lines (about 13 minutes on foot), Freeman St on the 2 and 5 (about 14 minutes), and Intervale Av on the 2 and 5 (about 18 minutes).
Survey Results
NYC School Survey (2025) · 130 families responded (62% rate)
Programs & Activities
Admissions Demand
We pride ourselves on our four core values: community awareness, respect, professionalism, and education. Scholars engage in a rigorous learning experience that encourages them to adopt these core values, starting as early as freshman year. FDA III empowers every scholar, every day through culturally relevant programs: a structured and sequential curriculum, enrichment programs, mentorship & guidance, wellness supports, family engagement, community development, and academic support.
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Discipline
NYSED Student & Educator Database
Economic Need & Special Populations
How to get in, step by step
High school (9th grade)
High school is one citywide application, made in 8th grade. Frederick Douglass Academy III Secondary School admits through one program, and each one has its own admissions method:
- Frederick Douglass Academy III Secondary SchoolLimited UnscreenedEvent priority108 seats
High school application
- Opened
- Tue, Oct 6
- Closes
- Fri, Dec 4
- Offers
- Wed, Mar 3
The DOE’s published dates.
- 1Apply on MySchools during the high school application, in 8th grade.
- 2Programs marked “Event priority” put families who attended an open house, tour or information session first — sign in when you go.
- 3Rank programs in true preference order — the match places your child in the highest-ranked one that offers a seat.
Open houses and tours
Open house
Fri, Nov 13, · 4:00 PM · In person
Open house
Tue, Dec 1, · 4:00 PM · In person
A program here gives priority to families who attended an event — sign in when you go.
From the MySchools admissions calendar, checked weekly.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Frederick Douglass Academy III Secondary School a good school?
- On Motley, Frederick Douglass Academy III Secondary School earns an overall rating of 62/100 — the average of the school's four-year graduation rate, the share of its students scoring college-ready (70+) on the English Regents, and its Regents completion rate, shown out of 100.
- What grades does Frederick Douglass Academy III Secondary School serve?
- Frederick Douglass Academy III Secondary School serves grades 9 to 12.
- How do students get into Frederick Douglass Academy III Secondary School?
- Frederick Douglass Academy III Secondary School admits mostly by lottery, with a modest preference for students who show interest (a tour or info session).
- Is Frederick Douglass Academy III Secondary School public, charter, or private?
- Frederick Douglass Academy III Secondary School is a public school in NYC Community School District 9.
- What neighborhood is Frederick Douglass Academy III Secondary School in?
- Frederick Douglass Academy III Secondary School is in Claremont Village-Claremont (East), Bronx.