At a Glance
A small, theater-connected East New York high school where suspensions are zero and parent trust runs high
Best suited for
Families in or near East New York looking for a small, theater-connected public high school where parent voice is strong and discipline isn't the daily story, and who can manage a 10–12 minute walk to the subway.
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
- Zero suspensions across the school — extraordinarily rare for a NYC public high school
- Theater-skills admissions track that draws 146 applicants for 90 seats
- Parent engagement at 97% satisfaction and 98% principal trust
- 90/100 program richness despite a small 252-student enrollment
- ELL extended-day program alongside AP courses — unusual breadth for the size
Things to consider
- Teacher-to-teacher trust at 59% is a yellow flag, though only 14 teachers responded to the survey
- PTA fundraising is essentially zero per student — parents are engaged in surveys but not in dollars, which limits what the school can layer on top of its budget
- High economic need (92.6) and 24% IEPs mean teachers are managing significant need in every classroom
- No school-level proficiency data was available, so academic outcomes are harder to assess from outside
- The subway commute requires a real walk from any of the three nearest stations
Based on 2024-25 data
School SummaryDistrict 19
Most of District 19's notable schools on the peer list are elementary programs, so this small high school occupies a different niche — one of the few traditional public high school options in an area where families might otherwise default to larger campuses.
Academics
AP courses are on the books alongside SAT prep, Regents prep, and academic tutoring — meaningful scaffolding for a high-need population. School-level proficiency scores weren't included in this dataset, so a direct comparison to the district's roughly 49% ELA and 48% math averages isn't possible here. What's visible is the program's intent: this is a small school trying to give kids college-readiness tools despite limited per-student fundraising.
Culture
Zero suspensions is genuinely rare for a NYC public high school — that's the single most striking climate signal here. Parents are deeply engaged: 97% satisfied, 96% trust teachers, 98% trust the principal. The teacher picture is more uneven — only 14 teachers responded to the survey (a small sample), and teacher-to-teacher trust sits at 59% while teacher-to-principal trust is 88%, suggesting staff respect leadership but feel less bonded to each other. That gap is worth asking about on a tour.
Community
The student body is majority Black (40%) and Hispanic (39%), with a sizable Asian contingent (14%) and a small white and multiracial slice — a diversity index of 72%. With an economic need index of 92.6 and 24% of students with IEPs, teachers here are working with significant need. The surrounding East New York-New Lots neighborhood looks similar: low homeownership at 29%, a 22.6% poverty rate, and median income around $58K, so most families sending kids here are navigating real economic pressure.
Neighborhood
East New York-New Lots is a working-class Brooklyn neighborhood where about 23% of households live below the poverty line and median household income sits near $58,000. Homeownership is low at 29%, so most families rent, and only 16% of adults hold a bachelor's degree. The school is reachable on foot from three subway lines, but none of them are particularly close.
The Euclid Av A/C trains are about an 8-minute walk, the Shepherd Av C is roughly 9 minutes, and the New Lots Av 3 train is about a 12-minute walk.
Survey Results
NYC School Survey (2025) · 70 families responded (21% rate)
Programs & Activities
Admissions Demand
We have developed an interesting sequence of theater courses that involve portraying complex characters, scene work, monologues, improvisation, and stage craft. Students begin their high school career with introductory theater classes which progress to the writing, production, and performing of plays and shows.
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
PTA Fundraising
Source: DOE Local Law 171 disclosure
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. School for Classics High School admits through 2 programs, and each one has its own admissions method:
- PerformanceLimited UnscreenedEvent priority54 seats
- ProductionLimited UnscreenedEvent priority54 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
We haven’t seen open-house dates for this school yet.
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 School for Classics High School a good school?
- On Motley, School for Classics High School earns an overall rating of 44/100 — 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 School for Classics High School serve?
- School for Classics High School serves grades 9 to 12.
- How do students get into School for Classics High School?
- School for Classics High School admits mostly by lottery, with a modest preference for students who show interest (a tour or info session).
- Is School for Classics High School public, charter, or private?
- School for Classics High School is a public school in NYC Community School District 19.
- What neighborhood is School for Classics High School in?
- School for Classics High School is in East New York-New Lots, Brooklyn.