Frequently Asked Questions
Question: I live far from the school. Will my son be able to receive transportation?
Answer:For our students residing within Albany, buses are provided by the Albany City School District transportation department. Recognizing how difficult it can be at times for families to coordinate travel arrangements for their children, we make it a priority to attempt to accommodate every request for transportation. In most cases every child residing in Albany who needs transportation will receive it as long as a transportation application is submitted by the April 1st deadline. Applications received after April 1st will receive transportation when space is available.
Students residing within the city of Troy will have bus transportation provided as well, coordinated through their city school district’s transportation department and required to apply by the April 1st deadline as well.
We do not currently provide transportation from Schenectady but may be able to offer this service in the future. Please inquire.
We consider bus-riding to be a privilege; therefore, we expect proper conduct in order to keep this privilege.
Question: Is there tuition to attend Brighter Choice Charter Middle School for Boys?
Answer:BCMSB is a public, all-boy charter school. As such, any student may apply for admission, and there is no cost to attend.
Question: I read that students are chosen by a lottery system. What does this mean?
Answer:Each year our admission application deadline is April 1st for the following school year. If we receive more applications than we have spots available, then we conduct an open and fair lottery shortly after the deadline. Preference is given to those students living in Albany and those with a brother already attending the school.
Question: Why should I choose a single-gender school like BCMSB?
Answer:There is a body of research that suggests single-gender settings provide environments where boys can feel empowered and free to explore all opportunities, challenging themselves academically and personally.
Question: What types of afterschool and extra-curricular programs do you offer?
Answer:We are committed to educating the whole child, and we believe that afterschool and extra-curricular programs are essential to achieving this goal. Current options for our scholars include basketball, karate, debate and 4-H. We are always looking for new ways to encourage and support the interests of our students, so this list of programs will grow as we grow.
