Seven unique academies under one roof That’s the Bergen County Academies BCA for short. A tuition-free public magnet high school. It’s located in Hackensack New Jersey. BCA serves students in grades nine through twelve. All from Bergen County.
Founded in 1991 by John Grieco. Grieco also founded Academies at Englewood. BCA wasn’t always so grand. It started as a single academy. The Academy for the Advancement of Science and Technology AAST. This shared a campus with Bergen County Technical High School. The first AAST students graduated in 1996.
Over the years more academies joined. The Academy for Business and Computer Technology. Then the Academy for Engineering and Design Technology and the Academy for Medical Science Technology. Three more followed. The Academy for Culinary Arts. The Academy for Power and Transportation. And the Academy for Visual Arts and Graphic Communications.
The academies evolved. They focused more on college preparation. A more standard curriculum was adopted. A dispute arose in 2001. It focused on concerns about elitism. Some districts threatened to withdraw funding. BCA responded by increasing transparency. Talks with concerned districts followed.
Changes continued. APT was eliminated. ABCT was split into two. The Academy for Business and Finance and the Academy for Telecommunications and Computer Science. ATCS later shifted its focus to technology. The Academy for Culinary Arts expanded. It became the Academy for Culinary Arts and Hospitality Administration. AVAGC broadened its scope. It became the Academy for Visual and Performing Arts.
The school’s name changed too. From Bergen County Regional Academies to Bergen Academies and then to Bergen County Academy. Finally settling on Bergen County Academies. BCA became one of only seventeen schools in New Jersey. Offering the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.
Today BCA is a powerhouse. It’s been ranked the number one public high school in America. It houses cutting-edge science labs. A nanotechnology lab a cell biology lab a stem cell lab and an optics lab. Students engage in research projects. They explore nanotechnology stem cells and optics.
The academies boast impressive extracurricular activities. A thriving Model UN team a successful math team and a DECA chapter. There’s a rich history of accomplishments. Students have earned national and international recognition. Many have gone on to prestigious universities.
The Bergen County Academies isn’t just a school. It’s a community. A place of innovation and opportunity. A place where students reach for the stars. And often achieve them. Look around you. This is a place of dreams. Dreams made real.