Overview
Albany School of Humanities (often abbreviated ASH) is a public elementary school in Albany, New York, operated by the City School District of Albany. The school is located at 108 Whitehall Road, Albany, NY 12209, and its main telephone number is (518) 475-6575 [1]. It is a magnet school built around a humanities theme, which the school describes as a multicultural approach with a strong focus on arts, literature, and music infused throughout the school day [1].
The school’s website lists grades served as PK–5 and a school day that runs from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. [1]. The New York State Education Department (NYSED) profile for the school records the legal name “Albany School of Humanities,” lists Kenneth Lein as principal, and gives the school’s BEDS code as 010100010023 and its institution ID as 800000055736 [2].
ASH is one of the themed magnet elementary schools in its district. In a January 2021 announcement, the district grouped ASH with Thomas O’Brien Academy of Science and Technology (TOAST) and the Montessori Magnet School as its themed magnet elementary options, alongside a bilingual Spanish–English dual language program at Delaware Community School [3]. That grouping reflects how the district presented its choices at that time and is not a statement about current program offerings.
Location and School Identity
Albany School of Humanities is located at 108 Whitehall Road in the city of Albany in New York’s Capital Region. The school is one of the schools of the City School District of Albany, whose district offices are listed at 1 Academy Park, Albany, NY 12207, telephone (518) 475-6000 [1].
Readers researching Albany-area schools should confirm they are looking at the correct record, because several schools in the region have similar names. The most reliable identifiers for this school are its address, its BEDS code (010100010023), and its NYSED institution ID (800000055736) [1][2].
A school’s street address, its district affiliation, and a student’s eligibility to enroll are separate matters. ASH sits within the City School District of Albany, but proximity to the building does not by itself establish a right to attend, and magnet enrollment in the district has been described as open to Albany children through a district choice process, as discussed below [3].
Grades and Academic Programs
Grade span. The school’s own page lists grades served as PK–5 [1]. A City School District of Albany announcement published in January 2021 described ASH as serving Pre-K through grade 6 [3]. The two descriptions differ, and grade configurations can change between school years, so families should confirm the current grade span directly with the school or district.
Middle school pathway. According to the school’s page, students who attend ASH are enrolled in North Albany Middle School for grades 6–8 [1].
Humanities magnet theme. ASH is one of the district’s themed magnet elementary schools [3]. The school states that its arts and humanities theme is a multicultural approach with a strong focus on arts, literature, and music infused throughout the school day. It describes viewing education through a “humanities lens,” meaning students learn through lessons in art, music, theater, and visual arts, with that focus incorporated daily into all subject areas. In addition to art and music, the school states that learners participate in weekly theater arts and creative movement activities [1].
School climate practices. The school describes an environment intended to foster a sense of self, with students and staff taking part in school-wide mindful moments, community-service projects, and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) events [1].
School-specific versus general features. The humanities theme, the weekly theater arts and creative movement activities, and the PBIS and mindful-moment practices described above are specific to how ASH presents its program [1]. Other features of public elementary schooling in New York State — such as the grades 3–8 state assessments reported on NYSED’s site — apply to public elementary schools generally and are not unique to ASH [2].
Reading state reports. NYSED’s school profile notes that “common branch” refers to self-contained classes in grades 1–6 taught by teachers certified to teach all subjects typically included in elementary school, a definition that helps readers interpret staffing figures on state reports [2].
Enrollment and School Data
NYSED’s profile page for Albany School of Humanities lists a total enrollment of 377 students [2]. The excerpt of that page reviewed for this profile did not state the reporting year for that figure, so 377 should be treated as an undated snapshot. Readers should check the live NYSED profile for the current reporting period and for enrollment broken down by grade, race and ethnicity, English language learner status, disability status, and economic disadvantage [2].
NYSED also publishes school climate indicators for each school, including school safety, student attendance rate, student suspension rate, and the percentage of students absent 10 percent or more of the days they were enrolled [2]. The excerpt reviewed here did not include numeric values for those indicators, and such values are sometimes suppressed when group sizes are small. Readers who need those figures should consult the live profile rather than assume a value [2].
The same NYSED page includes an assessment results section covering the state’s grades 3–8 tests, along with a section labeled “Local Support and Improvement” [2]. The excerpt reviewed did not include the underlying test results or the details and reporting year of that accountability heading; both should be verified on the live page before being used to compare schools [2].
Enrollment counts, attendance rates, suspension rates, and test results each describe a specific population over a specific period. No single one of these measures establishes overall school quality, and none should be read as the cause of a particular outcome.
Admissions and Enrollment
ASH is part of the City School District of Albany’s magnet elementary school offerings. In a news item dated January 19, 2021, the district described its magnet elementary schools and its bilingual program as unique school choices, stated that the magnet elementary schools are open to all Albany children, and publicized virtual open houses for families considering them, including a session for ASH [3]. That notice is historical: it documents how the district presented magnet enrollment in early 2021, not the rules in effect today.
Application procedures, deadlines, lottery or placement rules, transportation eligibility, and any geographic preferences are set by the district and can change from year to year. The material reviewed for this profile did not include a current application timeline or an attendance boundary for ASH [1][3]. Families should contact the City School District of Albany or the school office at (518) 475-6575 for the current process [1].
Student Services and Family Information
School day. The school’s page lists the school day as beginning at 8 a.m. and ending at 2:30 p.m. [1].
Contacts listed by the school. The school’s page lists contacts for student support and for school nursing, along with the main office number, (518) 475-6575 [1].
Special education. For questions related to special education, the school’s page directs families to the district Special Education Office at (518) 475-6150 x14309, and it lists a Sub-CSE chairperson contact for Pre-K and for grades K–5 at ASH, AIA, Eagle Point, and Sheridan Prep [1]. Because staff assignments and telephone extensions change, families should confirm current contacts through the district.
Not covered by the sources reviewed. The material examined for this profile did not describe transportation routes, before- or after-school care, language-support programs, accessibility features, or family engagement policies specific to ASH. These are common topics for families, but they are not documented here, and readers should not assume a service is available simply because it exists at other schools. The district office is the appropriate starting point for those questions [1].
History and Community Context
Verified historical detail about ASH is limited in the sources reviewed. The school was operating as a humanities-themed magnet elementary school within the City School District of Albany by early 2021, when the district included it in a series of magnet elementary open houses and described its humanities focus [3]. The sources reviewed here do not establish a founding date, a building history, or long-term enrollment trends, and no such claims are made in this profile.
How to Verify Current Information
Because programs, grade spans, staffing, and enrollment rules change, readers should confirm details at the source:
- The school: Albany School of Humanities, 108 Whitehall Road, Albany, NY 12209; (518) 475-6575; official page at https://www.albanyschools.org/schools/ash [1].
- The district: City School District of Albany, 1 Academy Park, Albany, NY 12207; (518) 475-6000, for enrollment, transportation, and special education questions [1].
- State records: the NYSED data profile for Albany School of Humanities at https://data.nysed.gov/profile.php?instid=800000055736, which carries the BEDS code 010100010023 and reports enrollment, climate, and assessment data by school year [2].
When comparing schools, check that figures come from the same reporting year and describe the same population, and note any suppressed or missing values rather than treating them as zero.