The school opened in the 2008–2009 school year at grade nine. As of March 2008 the school's location had not yet been decided, but possible locations were
East New Orleans and
Gentilly. The school was originally named New Orleans Charter Science and Mathematics Academy which was similar to another New Orleans high school,
New Orleans Charter Science and Mathematics High School (SciHigh). Sci Academy was modeled after SciHigh. Most New Orleans area charter schools which were opening at the time started with students younger than high school age, and then added grades as the students advanced and grew older. Ben Marcovitz, then 28 years old, founded the school. Marcovitz, a graduate of
Yale University, had previously taught at Sci High. He also previously taught at
Saint Mary's Academy. Originally the school used a standard curriculum for a 9th grade level in American schools. It later concluded that its students needed to develop additional reading skills, so it added a literacy program, and according to principal Ben Marcovitz, the curriculum "basically changed over a weekend." In October 2010, parents of children with disabilities filed a lawsuit against the school, saying that the school discriminated against students with disabilities, with the
Southern Poverty Law Center representing the families. Also in September 2010, about 85% of the students were eligible for free or reduced price lunches. As of November 2010 almost 90% of students were eligible. During the same period, special needs students made up 15-20% of the students at Sci Academy, while the New Orleans public school average was 12%. In 2010, despite an increase in the school's reputation, it had not experienced having a waiting list or finding an increase in academic ability in incoming freshmen. As of early November 2010, the school had remaining openings for ninth grade students. Cindy Chang of the
Times Picayune said "Administrators quickly refute the notion that they are "creaming" the top students and denying admission to others" and that the school says that it takes "anyone who comes through the door [...] including special-needs students". In November 2010, the school had 225 students in the ninth, tenth, and eleventh grades. As of 2010, the majority of students are from
Eastern New Orleans and
Gentilly. The school has students from other areas in New Orleans. Residents of New Orleans, post-
Hurricane Katrina, can choose schools regardless of where they live in the city. Also in November 2010, Cindy Chang of the
Times Picayune said "As a rule, students do not enter Sci Academy any better-prepared than their counterparts at
Carver,
Clark,
Cohen,
John McDonogh or
Sarah T. Reed. Most are tragically behind, with years of catching up to do in the 20-month span before they sit for the GEE." As of the same year, the incoming freshmen came to school with even fewer academic skills than the school's first class of incoming freshmen. 41% of incoming freshmen, a plurality, had the reading levels of fourth grade or below, and 9% had first grade reading levels. 41% had reading levels from the fifth grade to the eighth grade levels, and 8% of students read at grade level or above. Chang added that "Students bring with them the same set of social ills -- single-parent homes, violence-plagued neighborhoods, poverty-related health problems -- found at other urban high schools." Cindy Chang of the
Times Picayune also said that "teenagers sit bolt upright in their seats -- no surreptitious napping here -- and getting good grades is considered cool." According to Macovitz, as paraphrased by Chang, fights become more infrequent "once the faculty convinces new students that they are safe at school and do not need to prove their toughness." ==Campus==