Bronx High School of Science Bronx High School of Science was founded in 1938 as a specialized science and math high school for boys, by resolution of the
Board of Education of the City of New York, with
Morris Meister as the first principal of the school. They were given use of an antiquated Gothic-gargoyled edifice located at Creston Avenue and 184th Street. The building, built in 1918 for Evander Childs High School, had been successively occupied by
Walton High School (1930) and by an annex of
DeWitt Clinton High School (1935). The initial faculty was comprised in part by a contingent from
Stuyvesant High School. Principal Meister put his imprint on the school from its formation, for example, selecting as school colors "green to represent chlorophyll and gold the sun, both of which are essential to the chain of life."
Brooklyn Latin School Unlike nearly all other specialized high schools, Brooklyn Latin has a strong focus on the humanities and classics. All students are required to take four years of English, History, Latin, and a modern foreign language. All classes regularly hold Socratic Seminars, in which students lead roundtable question-and-answer discussions, and all students take part in declamation (public speaking) exercises. Because of its small class size, Brooklyn Latin offers a relatively low student-to-teacher ratio (currently around 16:1). All students are required to take
International Baccalaureate courses in junior and senior years.
Brooklyn Technical High School One of the original three specialized high schools in New York City (the other two being Stuyvesant High School and Bronx High School of Science). In 1918, Dr. Albert L. Colston, chair of the Math Department at Manual Training High School, recommended establishing a technical high school for Brooklyn boys. His plan envisioned a heavy concentration of
math, science, and
drafting courses with parallel paths leading either to college or to a technical career in industry. By 1922, Dr. Colston's concept was approved by the Board of Education, and Brooklyn Technical High School opened in a converted warehouse at 49 Flatbush Avenue Extension, with 2,400 students. This location, in the shadow of the
Manhattan Bridge, is the reason the school seal bears the image of this bridge, rather than the
Brooklyn Bridge. Brooklyn Tech would occupy one more location before settling into its site, for which the groundbreaking was held in 1930.
Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School is the only specialized high school in New York City that does not require that an applicant take the SHSAT. Rather, students are accepted through auditions in the fields of vocal music, instrumental music, visual arts, dance, drama, and technical theatre.
High School for Math, Science and Engineering at City College The High School for Math, Science and Engineering at City College was created in 2002, with an emphasis on
engineering. As of 2024, the school is #3 in New York State and #36 in the nation, according to
U.S. News & World Report.{{cite web |url=https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/rankings-overview
High School of American Studies at Lehman College The High School of American Studies at Lehman College is located on the
Lehman College campus, in the
Bedford Park section of
the Bronx. Unlike the rest of the specialized high schools, the American Studies curriculum emphasizes U.S. History, offering three years (as opposed to only one) of AP-level U.S. History. The partnership with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History has allowed the school to plan multiple trips outside of New York City, with students paying relatively cheap fees. In 2008,
U.S. News & World Report ranked American Studies as the 29th best public high school in the country and 2nd in New York State. In 2009, the school rose to be the 19th best public high school in the country. In 2014, HSAS was ranked #1 in New York State.
Queens High School for the Sciences at York College The Queens High School for the Sciences at York College was formed in 2002 and continued to grow each year as a new class entered, reaching its present size in 2006, when the fifth class was admitted. There are now more than 500 students. As of 2024 the school is #1 in New York State and #25 in the nation, according to
U.S. News & World Report. The school emphasizes small class sizes and is the only specialized school in Queens.
Staten Island Technical High School Staten Island Technical High School began in 1982 as an annex of Ralph R. McKee Vocational-Technical High School, located in the
New Dorp neighborhood of Staten Island, after
New Dorp High School, which had occupied the building since it was built in the 1930s, moved to its current location on New Dorp Lane. The technical courses were taught in the annex, while the vocational courses stayed in St. George. Through the advocacy of parents, staff, and students, Staten Island Tech was made an independent high school by the New York City Board of Education in May 1988. Nicholas M. Bilotti, who had been serving as director of the annex, was appointed principal of the new high school.
Stuyvesant High School Stuyvesant High School is named after
Peter Stuyvesant, the last
Dutch governor of
New Netherland before the colony was transferred to
England in 1664. Of the nine Specialized high schools, Stuyvesant has the highest score cutoff for entry. The school was established in 1904 as a
manual training school for boys, hosting 155 students and 12 teachers. In 1907, it moved from its original location at 225 East
23rd Street to a building designed by
C. B. J. Snyder at 345 East 15th Street, where it remained for 85 years. It moved to its current location, a building on the Hudson River at 345 Chambers Street, in 1992. == History ==