Fort Hamilton High School

Fort entrance

From the Bay

Fort Hamilton High School (HS 490) is a public high school in Brooklyn, New York, USA, under the jurisdiction of the New York City Department of Education. Students in Bay Ridge, Sunset Park and Dyker Heights are zoned to Fort Hamilton HS. It has stood overlooking the Narrows and Lower New York Bay since 1941.

Fort Hamilton can be reached by public transportation. The B16 is the closest public transportation. Other transportation includes the B63 which runs along 5th Avenue, the R train which stops at 4th Avenue and 86th Street and the B1, B16, S53, S79 and S93, buses to Staten Island and other parts of Brooklyn that stop at 86th Street and 4th Avenue as well.

In the past Fort Hamilton has consistently ranked as one of the most populous high schools and the population is still gradually increasing. In December 2007 Fort Hamilton had 4,539 students, but in February 2010 that number declined to 4,198 (cite). For the 2014–2015 school year the population has risen to 4,372. Now in order to be admitted if not zoned to Fort Hamilton HS, one must apply and be accepted to either the Honors Academy or The Performing Arts program (Instrumental and Vocal) and the newly introduced Joffrey Ballet Academy for dance.

The building is largely over capacity, thus the need for the school's shrinking student body. In 2005 "the modules" were completed to accommodate for the excessive student body which now serves as the much needed extra space.

The school hosts many clubs and activities after school, including an arts program and many sports teams. The school offers 18 different Advanced Placement courses and other college courses that are offered for credit through several colleges and universities.

Academics

The graduation rate of the 2014–2015 school year was 68%. Fort Hamilton was once a private school. This remains lower than most high schools. In addition, a selective program is currently offered known as the Honors Academy, which is for students who are exceeding school standards in middle school. Most students in this program are challenged by honor and AP classes, allowing them to be more prepared for colleges and look attractive when applying.

The school also contains very talented students in the Zoned Program, as many of these teenagers end up becoming lawmakers, teachers, pharmacists, doctors, journalists, and athletes. Top students have attended Ivy League schools including Princeton, Cornell, Yale, Harvard, and Columbia, as well as NYU and other selective programs such as Whitworth University, the Macaulay Honors College of the CUNY schools.

Demographics

As of the 2014–2015 school year, the student body was made up of 5% Black, 29% Hispanic, 30% Asian, and 34% White students. The student body includes 19% English language learners and 15% special education students. Boys account for 56% of the students enrolled and girls account for 44%. The average attendance daily rate for the school year 2014–2015 was 92%.

Extracurricular activities

Extracurricular activities at Fort Hamilton H.S. include the Honors Academy, Academy Arts of Finance, Virtual Enterprise, JROTC, Junior Math League, Leadership, Mock Trial, The National Honor Society, Performing Arts, Model UN, Swimming, Lifeguard, Photography, Histology, Ceramics, Public Speaking, the Anchor, Math Team, and Shakespeare Contests.

The boys varsity swim team won the title of New York City Champions in 1999 for the first time in the school's history. The swim team also won Brooklyn champions in 1998 and during the 2007–2010 seasons. The NYC Championship was lost to Stuyvesant High School in 1998 and 2010 as well to Brooklyn Technical High School in 2008. The boys varsity football team won the 2005, 2006, and 2010 Football PSAL Championship. The girls varsity swim team has won three city championship titles. Bon Voyage Travel from Fort Hamilton High School won first place internationally in the Virtual Enterprise program.

Notable alumni

Albert King, pictured as a member of the boys' varsity basketball team, would go on to be an NCAA All-American and nine-season NBA veteran.

• Janet Yellen, Chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve System
• Christopher Mega, former New York Assemblyman, State Senator, and Supreme Court Justice
• Vincent J. Gentile, former New York State Senator and current New York City Councilman
• Cory Pilzer, Police Officer for the City of New York
• Albert King, retired NBA Player
• Bernard King, retired NBA All-star
• Julio Lugo, retired Major League baseball player
• Jaiquawn Jarrett, former NFL safety for the New York Jets
• Neil M. Stevenson, former Chief of U.S. Navy Chaplains
• Paul Jabara, songwriter, actor

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fort Hamilton High School.

• insideschools.org
• School Report Card for 2005
• New York City Department of Education
• Fort Hamilton HS Alumni site
• zoominfo.com