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Our Insights

What’s Special

Swimming; film and journalism

The Downside

Academics have a ways to go

High School for Media and Communications is a small school located in the majestic George Washington Educational Campus. Students can choose between two programs: Film and Television Production or Publication and Design Academy. More than half of the students speak a language other than English, and many are new to the country. While the school faces challenges with attendance and classroom participation it’s showing signs of progress. 

Academics & Instruction: Teachers are focused on helping students read, write, and talk more in class. Staff meet in small “learning pods” to plan lessons, check progress, and share good ideas. Each class has a learning guide, with clearly stated goals, and a schedule of lessons so students and families know what to expect. About half the students take a college-level course or earn a professional certificate.

Themes & Programs: Film and Television Production offers teens a chance to make videos and commercials. Publication and Design students study journalism and creative writing for publication in the school magazine. The school has a partnership with Simon and Schuster publishers to bring in speakers and events about writing, books, and storytelling. Their editors’ also review college essays.

Culture & Environment: The school emphasizes civic knowledge and participation.  Students study community and government and pitch in to make the school more welcoming for immigrant families. The school also works with Catholic Charities to plan events that celebrate different cultures and identities.

Special Education & English as a New Language: About half of the students are learning English. Teachers get training on how to help multilingual students improve faster, and how to balance English learning with strong academic instruction. They are adding more support for new students so they can adjust faster and feel included, according to the yearly plan.

Building & Facilities: Four other schools share the building: The College Academy, The Equity Project Elementary Charter School, High School for Law and Public Service, and High School for Health Careers and Sciences. Sports are campus-wide and include swimming lessons in an Olympic-sized pool.

College & Career: Catholic Charities provides workshops on how to help students complete financial aid and college applications. (Lydie Raschka, official reports, November 2025)

 

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School Stats

Academics

School
Citywide
How many students graduate in 4 years?
 
82%
How many students with disabilities graduate in 4 years?
 
72%
How many English language learners graduate in 4 years?
 
75%
Average daily attendance
 
81%
How many students miss 18 or more days of school?
 
58%
How many parents of students with disabilities say this school offers enough activities and services for their children's needs?
 
94%
How many parents of students with disabilities say this school works to achieve the goals of their students' IEPs?
 
92%
From the 2023-24 School Quality Guide and 2023-24 NYC School Survey

Students

363
Number of students
Citywide Average is 608

Race/Ethnicity


School
Citywide
Low-income students
 
100%
Students with disabilities
 
19%
Multilingual learners
 
51%
From the 2024-25 Demographic Snapshot

Safety & Vibe

School
Citywide
How many students were suspended?
 
1%
How many students say they feel safe in the hallways, bathrooms and locker rooms?
 
87%
How many students think bullying happens most or all of the time at this school?
 
34%
How many students say that some are bullied at their school because of their gender or sexual orientation?
 
29%
How many teachers say they would recommend this school to other families?
 
83%
From the 2023-24 NYC School Survey and 2023-24 NY State Report Card

Faculty & Staff

School
Citywide
How many teachers say the principal is an effective manager?
 
86%
2.8
Years of principal experience at this school
Citywide Average is 8
185
Number of students for each guidance counselor or social worker
Citywide Average is 119

Teachers’ Race/Ethnicity


How many teachers have 3 or more years of experience teaching?
 
70%
Are teachers effective?
From the 2023-24 NYC School Survey, 2023-24 School Quality Guide, 2022-23 Report on School-Based Staff Demographics, 2025 Guidance Counselor Report, and this school's most recent Quality Review Report

College and Career Readiness

School
Citywide
How well are students prepared for college and careers after four years at this school? What is a College and Career Readiness (CCR) Score?
 
33
How many students take a college-level course or earn a professional certificate?
 
51%
How many students who have graduated from this high school stay in college for at least 3 semesters?
 
18%
From the 2023-24 School Quality Guide
For more information about our data sources, see About Our Data · More DOE statistics for this school

Programs & Admissions

From the 2024 High School Directory

Film and Television Production (M30A)

Admissions Method: Ed. Opt.

Program Description:

This program utilizes our state-of-the-art recording studio and exposes students to course work in Visual Storytelling, Advanced Broadcast Production, and Introduction to Post Production. Students create public service announcements, mini-documentaries, commercials and short films. Students are required to create a short silent film with Film at Lincoln Center and complete a certification program at Manhattan Neighborhood Network.

Publication and Design Academy (M30B)

Admissions Method: Ed. Opt.

Program Description:

This program exposes students to a variety of writing experiences through courses in journalism, creative writing and screenwriting. Students choose the genre of their interest and will have their pieces published in the school newspaper, Rise, Babel in the Heights, yearbook, and the school magazine of fiction and non-fiction. Students have opportunities to collaborate with and/or intern at publishing companies, including Simon & Schuster.

Offerings

From the 2024 High School Directory

Language Courses

Spanish

Advanced Courses

Algebra II (Advanced Math), AP Biology, AP English Language and Composition, AP Psychology, AP Spanish Language and Culture, AP United States Government and Politics, AP United States History, ELA (College Course [Uncredited]), Math (College Course [Uncredited]), World Languages (Advanced World Languages)

Boys PSAL teams

Baseball, Basketball, Football, Outdoor Track, Soccer, Swimming

Girls PSAL teams

Basketball, Flag Football, Indoor Track, Outdoor Track, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Volleyball

Read about admissions, academics, and more at this school on NYCDOE’s MySchools

NYC Department of Education: MySchools

Contact & Location

Location

549 Audubon Avenue
Manhattan NY 10040

Trains: 1 Line to 191st St; A Line to 190th St

Buses: Bx18, Bx40, Bx42, Bx7, BxM1, M100, M101, M3, M4, M98


Contact

Principal: Sofia Russo

Parent Coordinator: Dersa Gonzalez

Phone: 212-927-1841

Website

Other Details

Shared campus? Yes

This school shares the George Washington Educational Campus with four other schools

Uniforms required? No
Metal detectors? Yes

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