Regina Opera's future at OLPH uncertain as charter high school plans move
Launch High School, a charter school on the second floor of 475 53rd St., plans to move into the former Our Lady of Perpetual Help Academy space behind OLPH Catholic Church on 59th Street in September 2027. The space is currently being renovated.
Launch operates a high school in Sunset Park and a middle school in Crown Heights. Executive Director Alexis Rubin said Launch was drawn to Sunset Park because "our values and the values of the community of Sunset Park are really aligned."
Founding principal of Launch High School Tom Ng pointed to the school's "ecosystem model" of learning: "It's about leveraging the community as experts. All of our curriculum are pulling from members of the community to help our students understand career connections and the projects they're learning about."
Potential effects on Sunset Park
Lauren Alzos-Benke, a dance teacher at Sunset Park High School since it opened in 2009, said another nearby high school could draw students away from SPHS, which is already under-enrolled.
"Funding is tied to enrollment. We're already under-enrolled. Further under-enrollment limits our ability to offer enriching programs for our students, especially extracurricular and arts programs,” Alzos-Benke said.
She said the city hasn't penalized SPHS for under-enrollment in recent years because schools are under-enrolled citywide. However, "on the first day of school this year, we were told to tighten our belts because the budget is tighter than it has been in a while." She recalled that early in her time at SPHS, the city clawed back funding mid-year after projected enrollment fell short, forcing program cuts.
Alzos-Benke is also skeptical of the usual charter-school argument about parent choice. “The neighborhood fought for years for a high school in Sunset Park. We're now offering a dual-language Mandarin program; we have always had good Spanish-language programs; we now have a pathway program where students can major in things like arts, medical studies and welding. If we can't provide those things, then high school students are allowed to apply to schools all across the city,” she said. “But we don't need another high school in Sunset Park.”
Launch High School opened in Sunset Park in fall 2025 with a founding ninth-grade class. It now has about 50 students in ninth grade and 50 in 10th grade, according to Launch, and about one-third of its students live in Sunset Park. The OLPH space will accommodate 115 students per grade, from ninth through 12th.
A WhatsApp group called Protect Sunset Park Public School has been organizing around strengthening public education in the neighborhood. One mother in the group, who requested anonymity, questioned the public spending involved.
“The mayor has made it clear that we are in a budget crisis. The city should not be spending money on charter school rent on a new school facility so bankers and tech bros can feel good about themselves when there are already so many available seats in Sunset Park schools,” the mother said. “When real publicly run schools are added in a community there first must be a determined need, which is based on capacity. Launch would have been rejected outright because the city, reasonably, does not want to spend money in a new school when there are seats available elsewhere nearby. What we don’t have is a 2-K or a pre-k center.”
Rubin argues that Launch offers more personalized education and lasting relationships with students. She pointed to Sadiqah Whittington, a Launch Middle School alumna who graduated eighth grade in 2018 and now serves on the school's board.
Whittington described her experience as "formative and exciting,” recalling a sixth-grade camping trip and "amazing experiences that wouldn't have been offered to us otherwise." She credited Launch with helping her become the first in her family to graduate college. “I stay in contact with my teachers, they helped me get into college, get scholarships. I wouldn't have been able to do that without Launch."
Regina Opera's future at OLPH
Launch's move will displace Regina Opera, which has performed in the OLPH Academy auditorium since September 2012. The company will have to leave starting this December, and whether it can return after renovations in 2027 remains unresolved.
“Regina will not be able to do the opera in the spring because we'll be under construction. But we're already in conversation about what the partnership can look like,” Rubin said. “Can we get them storage space? Can we open up the theater for them to continue to perform the opera, even on the weekends during the school year?”
Francine Garber-Cohen, Regina Opera's president and opera and concert producer, said the company has no written agreement.
“There is nothing in writing yet. We have not received a lease or agreement that we can stay there until the middle of December although she has emailed me to that effect. As for after renovations, we very much hope Launch school will continue our relationship,” Garber-Cohen said. “We are trying to put a smiling face on the situation because we love our Sunset Park patrons and Sunset Park businesses.” She said singers, staff and audience members frequent Generoso Bakery (5812 Fifth Ave.) and Casa Vieja (6007 Fifth Ave.), and shop at neighborhood supermarkets, printers and hardware stores.
Without a formal agreement in place, Regina Opera has scouted more than fifty backup locations across Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Committed to being part of the community
Launch says it is working to build relationships with Sunset Park residents. Much of that work is led by Aliyes Plasencia, the school's Community Engagement and Facilities Manager and a lifelong neighborhood resident.
“Launch is very community driven,” Plasencia said. “This summer we had our summer program here, and we closed the block, and we invited the senior center to play bingo with our students. My mom catered, we brought an ice cream truck and we gave free ice cream to our students and all the seniors from the senior center.”
Launch is also creating a Community Advisory Board to advise the school on how it can better serve the neighborhood. Plasencia attended the September Community Board 7 meeting and spoke during open comment, encouraging residents to join the board.
The board's kickoff meeting is scheduled for Oct. 2. The location and time have yet to be confirmed, though organizers expect it to take place around 6 p.m. at the former OLPH Academy campus, 5902 Sixth Ave., where Launch plans to move in 2027.
If you are interested in joining the board or speaking with Launch about its place in the community, reach out using this online form.
At the close of The Sunset Post’s interview with Alexis Rubin, she emphasized that Launch wants to hear from anyone with concerns about the school's presence in Sunset Park.