Mission and History

MISSION

The Excellence Community Schools prepares young people in New York City and Stamford to compete for admission to and succeed in top public, private and parochial high schools by cultivating their intellectual, artistic, social, emotional, and ethical development. The Excellence Community Schools accomplishes this by offering a challenging and rigorous academic curriculum, which at the earliest of grades has an eye toward college preparation. The Excellence Community Schools achieves this in a supportive and caring environment that maintains high expectations for all students.

HISTORY

Excellence Community Schools was founded in July 2016 and is the non-profit charter management organization supporting Bronx Excellence and Stamford Excellence schools. In September 2016, Excellence Community Schools was one of only 15 grantees nationwide to receive awards from the U.S. Department of Education for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Public Charter Schools.

The Bronx Charter School for Excellence, or Bronx Excellence, began as a K-5 charter public elementary school for children in New York’s Morris Park/Parkchester section of the Bronx in 2004. In 2007, Dr. Charlene Reid became the Principal of Bronx Excellence, in Parkchester. 

By 2009, the State University of New York (SUNY) took note of the school's positive trajectory, stating in their Initial Renewal Recommendation Report that “the school had created a warm, respectful environment where learning is valued and the school had established high expectations for student achievement.” In that same year, Bronx Excellence became one of only three SUNY authorized charter schools to receive a full-term, five-year renewal. By 2012, Bronx Excellence was identified as the highest performing K-8 public charter school in the State of New York and was recognized as a U.S. Department of Education National Blue Ribbon School.
 

2004

Founded in 2004, the Bronx Charter School for Excellence, better known as Bronx Excellence, is one of New York’s true success stories. What began as a K-5 public school alternative for children in the Parkchester/Morris Park region of the Bronx, has developed into one of the highest-performing charter schools in the state — only 50% of ELA scores at grade level — the same statistic as under-performing traditional district schools.

2007 

In 2007, Dr. Charlene Reid became the Principal of Bronx Excellence, in Parkchester.

2009 

By 2009, the State University of New York (SUNY) took note of the school's positive trajectory, stating in their Initial Renewal Recommendation Report that “the school had created a warm, respectful environment where learning is valued and the school had established high expectations for student achievement.” In that same year, Bronx Excellence became one of only three SUNY authorized charter schools to receive a full-term, five-year renewal.

2012 

By 2012, Bronx Excellence was identified as the highest performing K-8 public charter school in the State of New York and was recognized as a U.S. Department of Education National Blue Ribbon School.

2015 

Stamford Excellence is a free, charter public PK-5 school district and the first charter elementary school to have been established in Stamford, CT.

2016 

Established in 2016, Excellence Community Schools (ECS) is a non-profit and Charter Management Organization (CMO), which evolved from our flagship school model, Bronx Excellence 1. In September 2016, ECS and BCSE welcomed the first Bronx replica school, Bronx Excellence 2 in Morris Park. Bronx Excellence 2 opened to 120 scholars enrolled in Kindergarten and 1st grade and will grow by a grade level every year until it reaches 8th grade.

2017 

Established in 2017, Bronx Excellence 3 is in a free, charter public K-8 school network serving the Wakefield neighborhood of Bronx, NY.

2018 

Established in 2018, Bronx Excellence 4 is in a free, charter public K-8 school network serving the Wakefield neighborhood of Bronx, NY.

2019

Established in 2019, Bronx Excellence 5 is in a free, charter public K-8 school network serving the Tremont neighborhood of Bronx, NY.

2023

In 2023, Bronx Excellence 2 and Stamford Excellence received a National Blue Ribbon. "These astounding schools are paving the way for a brighter educational future, closing achievement gaps, and setting a standard for excellence!"  

Established in 2016
Excellence Community Schools (ECS) is a non-profit and Charter Management Organization (CMO), which evolved from our flagship school model, Bronx Excellence 1.

Established in 2004
Bronx Excellence 1-5 and Bronx Excellence 1 Middle, are in a free, charter public K-8 school network serving the Parkchester, Morris Park, Wakefield, and Tremont neighborhoods of Bronx, NY.

Established in 2015
Stamford Excellence is a free, charter public PK-5 school district and the first charter elementary school to have been established in Stamford, CT.