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Posted on Posted on: · by Michael Lesczinski
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2026 Success Academy Charter Schools – NYC Renewal Recommendation Report

Districts: Brooklyn CSD 14, Brooklyn CSD 16, Brooklyn CSD 17, Brooklyn CSD 32, Manhattan CSD 2, Manhattan CSD 3, Queens CSD 24, Queens CSD 27, Queens CSD 29

Key Information

Education Corporation Background

Success Academy Charter Schools – New York City (“SACS NYC” or the “education corporation”), a not-for-profit charter school education corporation, is currently authorized to operate 41 charter schools, 38 of which are open and operating.  SACS NYC partners with the charter management organization Success Academy
Charter Schools, Inc. (“Success Academy” or the “network”), a Delaware not-for-profit corporation based in New York City, which serves the 41 schools within SACS NYC. By contract, Success Academy provides the schools with academic, operational, finance, legal, and back office assistance. Each SACS NYC school implements an academic program consistent with all other SACS NYC charters, all of which are high performing. SACS NYC intends to open Success Academy Charter School – NYC 17 during the 2026-27 school year, and intends to open Success Academy Charter School – NYC 15 and Success Academy Charter School – NYC 18 during the 2028-29 school year.

Executive Summary

All eight SACS NYC schools under review have demonstrated a consistent record of strong academic performance aligned with the aggregate trend across the education corporation. Each school met its English language arts (“ELA”), mathematics, graduation, and college preparation goals over the charter term, reflecting high levels of absolute achievement and effective implementation of the SACS NYC educational program.

Over the term, the network consistently deployed effective academic systems to support rigorous instruction and student learning. These systems include routinely evaluating and refining curriculum; maintaining principals’ focus on instructional leadership; delivering extensive, structured professional development for staff members; and, implementing frequent assessment cycles to ensure data driven instructional adjustments. As a result, all schools in the renewal cohort produced ELA and mathematics results that exceeded the absolute target of 75% proficiency and outperformed the schools’ respective local district results.

SACS NYC also demonstrates strong programmatic support beyond the school year. The network operates a comprehensive summer learning model that provides targeted academic intervention and enrichment. The model not only serves students requiring credit recovery but also those who lack mastery in discrete standards, as well as newly enrolled students needing support to meet grade level expectations.

At the high school level, Success Academy Harlem 1 offers extensive Advanced Placement (“AP”) and college level coursework aligned to the network’s college readiness mission. Students demonstrate strong year over year performance on AP exams, and the school’s graduating classes consistently have high college acceptance rates including offers from selective institutions. SACS NYC offers dual enrollment partnerships for college credit from Columbia University, Hunter College, and Georgia Tech. In addition, high school students access a wide array of summer opportunities including performing arts intensives, international travel, humanitarian service experiences, journalism, coding, and residential pre-college programs.

Findings and Information

Is each school due for renewal an academic success?
The eight schools due for renewal are academic successes having demonstrated a track record of superlative achievement. Each school met its key academic Accountability Plan goals over the term. Across the education corporation in 2024-25, 94% of SACS NYC tested students enrolled in at least their second year scored at or above proficient in ELA and 97% did so in mathematics. At the high school level, 100% of graduating seniors passed at least one AP examination in the majority of years of the term. The schools further demonstrate success in the following ways:

• In 2024-25, all eight SACS NYC schools under renewal review exceeded all targets included under the ELA goal.
• In 2024-25, all eight schools under renewal review posted mathematics proficiency rates for tested students enrolled in at least their second year that exceeded the absolute target of 75%.
• In 2024-25, 93% of Success Harlem 1’s 2021 Cohort graduated after four years exceeding the absolute target of 75% and the district rate.

Is each school due for renewal an effective, viable organization?
SACS NYC is an effective, viable organization as are each of the eight schools due for renewal. The network provides robust operational supports to each school and manages most back office supports. The network strategically supports each school’s director of operations with other operational leaders. As a result, school-based instructional leaders are able to primarily focus on academics. Network operations leaders closely monitor metrics from an operational standpoint to ensure that schools optimize all systems across the education corporation. The board continues to provide thoughtful and effective oversight of both the contract with the network and of each school.

Is each school due for renewal fiscally sound?
SACS NYC is fiscally sound based on the Institute’s review of the renewal documentation. The education corporation establishes strong methods of budget creation that consider all departments of the organization to develop accurate revenue and expense projections. The education corporation maintained adequate enrollment throughout the current charter term generating sufficient revenue to cover expenses.

SACS NYC demonstrated a positive financial performance during the current charter term with net assets of $328.6 million and 1.8 months of cash on hand as of the 2024-25 school year. SACS NYC currently operates 53 sites. Among those, 51 are co-located through the New York City Department of Education (“NYCDOE”) and two are privately leased properties.

If the SUNY Trustees renew each school, are the education corporation’s plans for each school reasonable, feasible, and achievable?
The education corporation’s plans for the eight schools under renewal review are reasonable, feasible, and achievable. The future budget in the renewal documentation contains reasonable and feasible revenue and expense projections for the proposed charter term. The board will continue to collaborate and oversee the performance of the network.

Recommendation: Full-Term Renewal with Conditions on Success Academy Charter School -Harlem 1

Renewal through July 31, 2027. The SUNY Charter Schools Institute (the “Institute”) recommends the SUNY Trustees’ Charter Schools Committee approve the following Applications for Charter Renewal:

• Success Academy Charter School – Bed Stuy 1;
• Success Academy Charter School – Bed Stuy 3;
• Success Academy Charter School – Bushwick;
• Success Academy Charter School – Far Rockaway;
• Success Academy Charter School – Flatbush;
• Success Academy Charter School – Harlem 1;
• Success Academy Charter School – South Jamaica; and,
• Success Academy Charter School – Upper West;

to align each related education corporation’s charter and renewal schedule going forward. If each school is renewed, SACS NYC will be granted the authority to provide instruction to students in such configuration as set forth in each charter’s Application for Renewal and subject to a set of conditions listed below. The Institute makes this recommendation based on each charter meeting the criteria for renewal set forth in the Policies for the Renewal of Not-for-Profit Charter School Education Corporations and Charter Schools Authorized by the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York (“SUNY Renewal Policies”).

Conditions

By July 1, 2026, the education corporation must provide a Corrective Action Plan, to be approved by the Institute, to come into compliance with teacher certification requirements under the Act inclusive of methods to assist uncertified teachers in obtaining certification, an identified system of monitoring certification status,
and administrative or monetary supports offered to teachers. The education corporation must demonstrate significant improvement regarding compliance with teacher certification requirements in accordance with the Act by the conclusion of the education corporation’s next proposed renewal term. This applies only to Success
Harlem 1 as all other charters under renewal review are in compliance with teacher certification.