Ontech Charter High School

Ontech Charter High School is the sole public charter high school serving the Syracuse, New York area. With a diverse student population and significant economic challenges, the school is underperforming academically compared to other high schools in the state. Despite relatively high per-student spending, Ontech Charter High School ranks among the lowest-performing schools in New York, with a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

The school's student body is predominantly African American (67.92%) and Hispanic (18.11%), with a high percentage (81.89%) of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating significant economic disadvantage. While the school has an impressive 0.0% dropout rate, its four-year graduation rate of 68.7% is significantly lower than the state average. Additionally, Ontech Charter High School struggles with a very high chronic absenteeism rate of 83.4%, suggesting significant challenges in student engagement and attendance.

Despite the school's challenges, the data suggests that Ontech Charter High School is making efforts to retain its students, even those who are chronically absent or not on track to graduate. However, the stark contrast between the school's high per-student spending and its poor academic outcomes raises questions about the effective utilization of resources and the need for targeted interventions to address the unique needs of the school's diverse learner population. As a parent or community member, it is important to stay informed about the performance and challenges facing Ontech Charter High School in order to advocate for improvements and support the success of all students.