Day: September 5, 2024

Students who attended Visitation Academy before it closed earlier this year now have a new home, thanks to Fontbonne Hall Academy,

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Two days before the first day of classes at Bay Ridge Prep, school leaders and local politicians cut the ribbon on the school’s brand-new building on Shore Road. 

The private K-12 school bought a plot of land overlooking Shore Road Park three years ago in a bid to ease crowding at its existing buildings and make space for programs and classes. The gut-renovated building unveiled on Sept. 3 includes new classrooms, science labs, art studios, multipurpose rooms, and outdoor space.

“We believe that education should not just be students sitting at desks being lectured to by teachers but for students being able to work on designing things, and being able to build things, and being able to present and defend their ideas. This all takes space,” Head of School Charles Fasano told Brooklyn Paper in 2021.  “Not only is it going to provide us the ability to be able to take in some more students but also just provide us the space to lay out the curriculum in the way we think is best.” 

This year, grades 9-12 will move out of the old Upper School building on Fourth Avenue and into the new facility full time, and the music rooms, science labs, and outdoor space will also be made available for use by younger students. 

The Lower and Middle school building on Ridge Boulevard also got some touch-ups, according to Bay Ridge Prep: new paint, renovated restrooms, and some new furniture. 

“The reason why everyone wants to live in Bay Ridge is because of schools like Bay Ridge Prep,” said Council Member Justin Brannan at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. 

More is coming to the campus soon. Next fall, a formerly-residential building on the same plot of land will be replaced with additional classrooms and a gymnasium, which will allow the school’s sports teams to play right on campus, rather than at rented venues. 

When it was founded by a small group of locals — including Fasano — in 1998, Bay Ridge Prep was a one-room schoolhouse with only 34 students.

Today, the school has 400 students of all ages and three school buildings. Tuition costs start at $31,165 per year for kindergarten, and tops out at $43,750 for 12th grade. 

In its mission statement, the school says it is dedicated to “intellectual curiosity, creativity, and emotional intelligence,” and strives to value each student individually. 

Per the Bay Ridge Prep website, the Shore Road property cost more than $8 million, plus the cost of renovations and construction. Through a fundraising campaign, the school has raised nearly $3.5 million to support the project, with additional funds provided by past campaigns and by Connect One Bank.