Exclusive UES Public School Widens Admissions, City Data Shows

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — A prestigious public school on the Upper East Side that for years only admitted students from its own school district revealed dramatically different admissions figures for the coming school year on Friday, thanks to a change in city policy.

Until this year, Eleanor Roosevelt High School was one of just a few dozen high schools across the city that gave priority to eighth-graders who lived within its district. In this case, that meant District 2, which "weaves a conspicuous path through Manhattan’s richest neighborhoods," the New York Times wrote.

Critics said this geographic preference contributed to school segregation that stifled diversity. Eleanor Roosevelt's own principal joined two other Manhattan principals in December to call on the city to eliminate the District 2 priority in favor of opening up admissions to kids across the five boroughs.

The advocacy paid off within days, as Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the city would scrap the preference for the coming year.

On Friday, the Department of Education released data showing a stark turnaround: 62 percent of Eleanor Roosevelt's admission offers went to students outside of District 2, compared to just 1 percent last year.

Admissions for the 2021-22 school year include a "significant increase in offers to students from the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens," a DOE spokesperson said.

The share of students eligible for free or reduced lunches more than tripled, from 16 percent last year to 50 percent, the DOE said.

"The removal of geographic priorities directly resulted in an expansion of opportunity and increased choice for more rising high school students," DOE spokesperson Katie O'Hanlon wrote.

The academic screens used by each selective school remain in place.