A Middle School Built for Harlem Families
St HOPE Leadership Academy is a free, tuition-free public charter middle school located at 222 West 134th Street, in the heart of Central Harlem. We serve grades 6, 7, and 8 (middle school only) so every program, every teacher, and every classroom is built around the years that matter most for setting students up for high school and college success. Our students come from across Central, East, and West Harlem, as well as other parts of the city.
A true neighborhood school
St HOPE isn’t one of the big charter networks with dozens of buildings around the city. We are a single-site school in Harlem serving Harlem and other local families. Walk past our doors on any given morning and you’ll see students arriving from a few blocks away, following siblings who came before them, and neighbors who chose us because they wanted something smaller and more personal.
That scale is intentional. Our teachers know every student by name. Our principal answers your email. Your child isn’t a number — they are part of a community.
Why Harlem families choose St HOPE
- Grades 6-8 only. We focus entirely on the middle school experience, and do it well.
- Free. As a public charter school, there is no tuition and no enrollment fees.
- Accessible to all of Harlem. We’re a few blocks from the 2/3 and C/B at 135th Street and a short walk from the A/B/C/D/2/3 at 125th. We are half a block from the M2 and M10 bus.
- A smaller community. One building. One principal. Class sizes that let teachers actually teach.
- Open to transfer students. Many of our families come from larger networks like Success Academy and Democracy Prep when they decide a smaller, more individualized setting is the better fit.
Where we sit in Harlem
Our doors are on West 134th Street, between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard and Frederick Douglass Boulevard, just a few blocks from Strivers’ Row, the Mt. Morris Historic District, the 125th Street corridor, and St Nicholas Park.
A note on our name
We hear it often: “Is St HOPE a Catholic school?” No. St HOPE is a non-religious, tuition-free public charter school. The “St” in our name reflects values of hope, opportunity, and possibility — not a religious tradition. Students and families of every background are welcome here, and our school day is fully secular.
Frequently asked questions
Come see for yourself
We host tours throughout the school year. Walking through the building during a school day is the fastest way to know whether St HOPE is the right fit for your family.