DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — A new charter school that is set to open in Downtown Brooklyn this fall with a focus on global curriculum is a hot commodity, with more than 300 kids applying so far for 155 positions.
International Charter School, run by Matthew Levey, a Manhattan dad and former diplomat for the U.S. State Department, will be open to kindergarten and first grade-aged students this fall.
The school will grow by one grade annually until it serves K through 8th grade.
Students are chosen through a lottery system with priority given to those residing in District 13, made up of Brooklyn Heights, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Bedford Stuyvesant and parts of other nearby neighborhoods.
To date the school has received 312 applications with the majority of families coming from Brooklyn Heights but also as far out as Bay Ridge, Ditmas Park and East New York, according to Levey.
The lottery will take place on April 3 and all applications must be submitted by April 1.
The charter will focus on a more global curriculum than most schools are currently offering, Levey said.
"Most public schools are so overwhelmed with standards that students don't benefit from their very diverse New York City classrooms," he told DNAinfo New York. "There are parents and students from all different backgrounds and we need to do a better job at addressing and learning from those differences."
For more information or to apply visit the school's website.
Parents can also attend upcoming information sessions at Salon 718 located at 610 Vanderbilt Ave. on March 9 at 6:30 p.m. or at Kumon Center located at 671 Vanderbilt Ave. on March 18 at 5:30 p.m.
International Charter School will be located on Willoughby Avenue in the former Brooklyn Friends School space. Brooklyn Friends is set to expand into a new space on Jay Street this summer.
