Excel Academy was conceived to address the severe academic underperformance and low college matriculation rates of the student populations of East Boston and Chelsea.  We envisioned a free, public school alternative where all students would be held to the highest academic and behavioral expectations and college would become a realistic goal.

The school received its charter from the Massachusetts Department of Education in February of 2003, and we opened our doors in September of that year driven by a clear mission: to prepare our students to succeed in high school and college, apply their learning to solve relevant problems, and engage productively in their communities.  We sought to realize this mission by offering a rigorous, college-preparatory school curriculum supported by a structured school culture.

Now in our sixth year of successful operation, we serve 200 fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grade students and are achieving significant results.  Our program and expectations have fostered a culture of achievement in which students, faculty, and staff thrive.  Excel Academy is significantly impacting the trajectories of its students as scholars, citizens and community leaders by teaching them to learn, lead, and excel.