The Bronx Hip-Hop School has been approved to become the first hip-hop-focused public high school in the United States, set to open in the South Bronx in 2026.
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Education officials made history last month by approving the first public high school in the United States dedicated entirely to hip-hop culture. The Bronx Hip Hop School will open in September 2026.
The New York City Education Policy Group voted unanimously to establish the groundbreaking institution in the Ninth Ward, ChalkBeat reports. The school will serve students in the South Bronx, the birthplace of hip-hop more than 50 years ago.
“Hip-hop reflects the talents of our students,” said District 9 Superintendent Harry Sherman. “Now is the time for our students and our community to make sure it belongs to us.”
The new high school will welcome 115 to 125 ninth-grade students in its first year. School officials plan to add more grades each year until it becomes a full four-year program.
Students will work with traditional scholars to learn the fundamentals of hip-hop. Courses include entrepreneurship and civic engagement through music. School leaders want to create pathways for graduates into college and careers.
A Grammy-nominated producer is helping design the school’s curriculum. Local business partners also contributed to the development of the project.
“This is about making the Bronx the center of the culture we offer to the world,” said Carl Manalo, principal of high schools in Districts 7, 9 and 12.
Hip-hop started in the Bronx on August 11, 1973. DJ Kool Herc hosted a homecoming party for his sister, Cindy Campbell, at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue. The 18-year-old DJ extended the percussion breaks while the dancers created new moves. He started talking in rhyme to the music.
Today, that basement party launched a global cultural movement worth billions of dollars.
The school will share space with two merged middle schools at 1600 Webster Avenue. Even with all three schools in the building, officials expect capacity to be only 34-40%.
A hip-hop museum will also open in the South Bronx this fall. The museum plans hip-hop science programs that combine culture with STEM learning.
