The first ever charter high school opened Monday in the Bronx. The International Leadership Charter School in Kingsbridge Heights hopes to provide higher education for Bronx students.

Charter schools are public schools that operate independently of the local school boards. This gives them the ability to teach different curriculums and educational philosophies. The International Leadership Charter School will have 88 students in each grade and 22 students in each classroom. The founder says small class sizes help students get the individual attention they need to excel.

This year the school teaches only 9th grade, but they hope to expand the school by one grade each year.