CAS was founded by Frederick J. Koury and Rick Safran in 1972. They chose New York City for the “schoolhouse” and their proposal was approved by the
Board of Education of the City of New York.
CAS received funding from the Board of Education and additional grants from the
Ford Foundation, and opened with ten
seniors in 1973. To attract students, CAS advertised on
WABC radio, targeting students who were considering
dropping out. Their first class eventually grew to 61 students.
Students are required to register for an internship each cycle; a cycle is half the time of a regular
semester. Currently, CAS has over 500 open internship relationships. Graduation from CAS requires a
portfolio presentation before a panel of adults and peers.
To apply to CAS, a student must be at least 16 years old and have a minimum of 16
high school credits; thus, new students have usually completed about two years of high school elsewhere. Additionally, a personal interview is conducted.
Academics
Although guided by an
advisor, students are responsible for registering for classes and internships four times a year. CAS does not use letter
grades; students receive either credit (C) or no credit (NC).[citation needed]
Campuses
CAS’s main campus is located at 16 Clarkson Street in
Greenwich Village in New York City. There are also two satellite locations: in the
Bronx at Tremont Avenue and Bruckner Boulevard, and in
Brooklyn on
Flatbush Avenue next to the
Manhattan Bridge. City-As-School
Queens opened in 1995 and closed in 2002. The original school was in a
brownstone on
Schermerhorn Street in Brooklyn. The first class was held in September 1973.
Notable alumni
Decora (rapper) (born 1984) – hip hop artist, producer, performance poet and social activist