Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning School


Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning School is a PreK - 12 public school in Washington Heights, Manhattan, New York City, serving grades PreK - 3 and 6 - 12. It is a part of the New York City Department of Education.

History

The school opened in 2006, and initially it had 150 students. Brett Kimmel was the first principal. the school had 600 students; 98% of the students were Hispanic and Latino, with most of them being Dominican American and/or born in the Dominican Republic.
The school is a university preparatory institution that encourages university admissions from the earliest grades, sets up field trips to higher education institutions, and establishes workshops for university admissions. WHEELS opened a Lower Grades to serve PreK - 5 in 2014 and is expanding each year to become a PreK - 12.