New York, NY- The ľֱ’s Aid Society announced today the numbers behind its inaugural lottery for the . Seventy percent of the 507 students who applied for kindergarten and first grade next year came from families that were unable to make ends meet without public or private assistance (the NY self-sufficiency standard); and 69% of the applicants identified as English language learners. In a first-of-its kind lottery system, the lottery gave preference to particularly needy children by granting additional entries to kids who met certain criteria.
“Many of these children start with less than most of us can imagine,” said Richard Buery, President and CEO of the ľֱ’s Aid Society. “While we don’t presume to fix all of a child’s problems when they come from such difficult backgrounds, our holistic and supportive approach to education is specifically designed to reach and nourish these kids. We know that education is the way out of poverty and we look forward to providing them that opportunity at ľֱ’s Aid College Prep.”
Applicants were given an additional entry if they qualified in any of the following categories:
- live in Community School District 12
- come from single-parent households
- are English language learners
- involved in the child welfare system
- from households living below the NY self-sufficiency standard (families are unable to make ends meet without public or private assistance)
- did not attend full-day kindergarten (1st grade applicants only)
Entry Category/Total Apps/Percentage
Kindergarten/271/53%
1st Grade/236/47%
CAS Affiliation/476/94%
General Public/31/6%
CSD #12/203/40%
Child Welfare/64/13%
ELLs/348/69%
No Full Day K/59/25%*
Self Sufficiency/354/70%
Single Parent/329/65%
*1st grade applicants only
# of Preferences/Total Apps/Percentage
6/1/0%
5/14/3%
4/106/21%
3/160/32%
2/115/23%
1/66/13%
0/14/3%
Unknown/31/6%
Total/507/100%
ľֱ’s Aid College Prep, located in the South Bronx, is the first charter school for The ľֱ’s Aid Society and will implement a community school model proven effective in improving academic performance, increasing attendance and retention, building confidence and self-esteem and addressing an extreme need for health services among poor children. Community schools differ from other schools because they provide comprehensive services for children, including medical, dental, and mental health services, after-school programming, summer camps and family support services. ľֱ’s Aid College Prep will incorporate community school best practices with a newly designed, rigorous instructional program that puts students on a college-bound path early.
The school will serve 120 students in Kindergarten and 1st grade and eventually approximately 300 students in Kindergarten through 5th grade. The school’s mission is to ensure that children will achieve academic success by providing them with the best instructional practices, advancing their physical, emotional, and social needs, fostering a sense of pride and hope, and serving as a safe and engaging community hub.
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ľֱ The ľֱ’s Aid Society
The ľֱ’s Aid Society is an independent, not-for-profit organization established to serve the children of New York City. Our mission is to help children in poverty to succeed and thrive. We do this by providing comprehensive supports to children and their families in targeted high-needs New York City neighborhoods. Founded in 1853, it is one of the nation’s largest and most innovative non-sectarian agencies, serving New York’s neediest children. Services are provided in community schools, neighborhood centers, health clinics and camps. For additional information, please call Anthony Ramos at (212) 949-4938/ (917) 204-8214, email anthonyr@childrensaidsociety.org or visit www.childrensaidsociety.org.