Founded in 1997, Baruch College Campus High School began operating inside the Baruch College campus, giving its name a clear connection. Around the year 2010, the high school moved from the college into a nearby repurposed office building.
At this move, “BCCHS” felt like a slightly inaccurate name. There was an initial conversation about whether or not the name should be changed to just Baruch High School, but parents at that time were hesitant; as they assumed it would put their students applying to college at a disadvantage. They decided to leave the issue alone–until recently.
BCCHS began to have issues with the merch. As they updated the logo and gear due to the lengthy nature of the name. Generally speaking, there was confusion due to the fact that the school was not on campus.
This year, a unanimous vote passed at a PTA meeting that the name should be changed to Baruch High School. Administration has double checked with the college office, and due to a number-code that each school receives for college admissions, there will be no issues with damaging or restarting the school’s reputation.
New name or not, Baruch at its core remains the same.
“We just say we’re Baruch– it’s not like we’re changing to Alicia Perez high school. So it’s a pretty gentle change,” said Principal Alicia Perez-Katz.
This being said, what do the students think about it?
The overall response was neutral to positive. Generally, students and faculty agree that it’s a very gentle change. In fact, when asked, students usually do not refer to the school as BCCHS.
“If someone asks me, I’d say I go to Baruch High School,” Sophie Young said.
“I say Baruch,” said Gabi Kolber. “No one really says the full thing.”
Other students argued that the name change may create some confusion between other NYC schools also abbreviated as BHS.
Anna Garland noted her concerns with differentiation. “There’s schools like Beacon, Boerum Hill, Billiards high school… there’s a lot of schools named BHS,” she said.
There are several other high schools abbreviated as BHS, including schools in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx.
Despite the approved vote, the name change will not be immediate, due to DOE regulations about changing a school name and a long process.
Still, students have noted small shifts, such as the recent change of name in the website and other online resources.
Although it may seem like a minor update, the name change feels sensible to many students. “We’re in our own space now,” said Jessica Navarette. “It feels right.”
