Newcomer Academy

What this school is

Newcomer Academy sits at 3741 Pulliam Drive in 40218, in the Newburg area of south-central Louisville. The day runs 7:30 a.m. to 2:10 p.m. The current official grade span on the JCPS Newcomer page is eighth through twelfth grade, plus Accelerate to Graduate.

JCPS describes it as a welcoming environment for multilingual learners new to U.S. schools, with intensive English alongside grade-level work. Students are typically in their first year of U.S. instruction, may have had interrupted schooling, and transition to another JCPS school based on their needs and progress. Families may also enroll in their home school.

Accelerate to Graduate (A2G) serves students ages 17–21 who have been in the U.S. less than five years and are working toward a diploma.

Newcomer is a specialized district program. It is not a resides option and it is not a zone peer of schools like Bowen, Lowe, Middletown or Stopher.

How families get in

Newcomer is not assigned by School Finder and is not ranked on the regular Elementary Application. Families use multilingual / newcomer intake and the specialized-school path.

• Ask whether the student is eligible for the Newcomer program (typically first-year U.S. instruction, beginning English) or for A2G (ages 17–21, in the U.S. less than five years).
• Register with JCPS if the student is new to the district. Placement here is not a zone assignment.
• Tour the 7:30 a.m.–2:10 p.m. day. Ask about English-proficiency level at entry and expected length of stay.
• Ask how credits transfer, how students move to the home school, and what graduation pathway A2G uses.
• Transportation is arranged after Newcomer placement — complete the Transportation Verification form. IEP transportation is a separate track.

The November–December application window does not place a student here. Do not use the Elementary Application as if Newcomer were a zone school.

Who it tends to fit

Students

Enrollment moves all year as students arrive and transition out, so confirm the current headcount with the school. This is not a data-book zone snapshot, and no borrowed elementary race table belongs on this page.

Gender: Confirm with the school

• Enrollment: confirm with the school — it moves as students arrive and exit
• Capacity: confirm with the school
• Multilingual learners: the program is multilingual by design; confirm the current count
• Economically disadvantaged: confirm — do not import an elementary figure
• Title I: confirm the current list; the handbook uses a Title I compact
• School day: 7:30 a.m.–2:10 p.m.
• High-school cluster: not a zone cluster — students transition to home schools

Academics

Look at the Kentucky School Report Card first. The live JCPS Newcomer homepage leaves the elementary-style proficient and distinguished banners blank, and this is not a K–5 report-card campus.

• Reading and math proficiency banners are blank on the school's live site.
• Do not rank Newcomer on elementary combined P+D bands.
• Ask how ACCESS and English-proficiency growth are measured, and how students transition to a regular JCPS school.

Awards and recognition

• Newcomer program

  Intensive English alongside grade-level work for students typically in their first year of U.S. instruction, including students with interrupted schooling.

• Accelerate to Graduate (A2G)

  Ages 17–21, in the U.S. less than five years, working toward a diploma. Enrollment is described as year-round for eligible students.

• Wraparound supports

  Youth Service Center, a mental-health practitioner, counselors and bilingual supports across the middle and high grades.

Location and daily life

Newcomer is on Pulliam Drive in 40218, in the Newburg area of south-central Louisville.

The household fact is the bell: 7:30 a.m. to 2:10 p.m., in the early-bell group.

Compare before you commit

• Your home or assigned middle or high school(opens the official JCPS page in a new tab)Where students typically go after their first year of U.S. instruction, based on needs and progress.
• A2G track at Newcomer(opens the official JCPS page in a new tab)Ages 17–21, in the U.S. less than five years, diploma acceleration.
• A comprehensive school with English-language supports only(opens the official JCPS page in a new tab)The option if the family declines a Newcomer year.

Questions to ask on a tour

1. 1.Is the student eligible for Newcomer, A2G, or neither?
2. 2.What English-proficiency level is typical at entry, and how is ACCESS growth tracked?
3. 3.How long do students typically stay before transitioning to the home school?
4. 4.How do credits transfer, and what graduation pathway does A2G use?
5. 5.What bilingual supports and counseling are available in the first weeks?
6. 6.How is transportation arranged after placement?
7. 7.What does the welcome and first-week onboarding include?
8. 8.Who is the current principal of record while the successor process is underway?

What to do next

1. 1.Call (502) 485-6324 or email nca-counselor@jefferson.kyschools.us before treating this as a School Choice option.
2. 2.Register with JCPS if the student is new to the district.
3. 3.Ask about Newcomer versus A2G eligibility and expected length of stay.
4. 4.Tour the 7:30–2:10 day and watch the language supports.
5. 5.Ask how transportation and credit transfer work after placement.
6. 6.Ask how families use the Youth Service Center if barriers are part of the plan.