The stunning campus of New York Military Academy in Cornwall-on-Hudson will soon be the new home of one of the area’s newest educational institutions, Canterbury Brook Academy of the Arts (CBA). Starting this September, CBA will open its doors to students and families in the Hudson Valley and the tristate area at its new physical location.

As an educator for almost twenty years, CBA Founder and Head of School Kelly Alexandra Trotta explained it took the global pandemic to bring her lifelong dream to fruition. “I felt like I was watching things go from not great to bad to worse in my field. Covid really threw it all under the microscope. We were also watching a downturn in student achievement in most cases during all of this,” she explained.

When fellow educators across the country needed to change up their normal routine and change the game plan, Trotta felt there was a sense of opposition toward doing anything different. Once schooling became virtual, parents demanded more after seeing what was happening in the education system.

“There were teacher shortages because they were leaving in droves. I think it became an incredibly frustrating position to be in across the board. We were all looking at this completely broken system during all of this. Students were moving up in grade levels and graduating, but children were coming out of school with no foundational skills and no sense of direction,” she shared.

During the pandemic, Trotta’s class had a Covid outbreak and students were coming back to school possibly too early. She ended up catching Covid and was on bedrest for a long time after as she worked to regain her health. It was during her health crisis that she decided it was now or never.

“It had always been my dream to start my own school. It was at this point that it became clear to me that I need to start moving in that direction,” Trotta said.

In June 2022, the school became incorporated and began virtually at first as it slowly grew. CBA offers an academic program and daily classes in music, theater, visual arts, dance, and French in addition to traditional subjects. With plans for the physical location in Highland Falls later this year, the school was heading on the right track until that location was met with complications.

“Due to some unsurmountable issues with our intended building in Highland Falls, we were forced to change our school’s location for the well-being of our students and staff as well as for the integrity of our program. While change is hard, we always maintained a very strong backup plan for exactly this sort of reason. We are frankly quite excited to announce that we will be enjoying a new home on the beautiful campus of New York Military Academy in Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York,” she shared.

Although moving the location was unexpected, there has been no change in the program, according to Trotta. “Nothing has changed as far as our busing, programming, staffing, lunch program, tuition or arts program. As a matter of fact, our new home offers our students many more opportunities come September, not less. It also gives us access to the gorgeous and historic NYMA chapel and professional, stadium-style seating auditorium for our concerts and shows, as well the use of a huge, green playspace and gym for recreation. We are excited for what we are now able to offer here, far beyond what we imagined possible,” Trotta explained.

For the 2023-2024 school year, CBA will accept students through the 9th grade level.  Each subsequent year, the school will add one additional grade, culminating with the first graduation of 12th graders in 2027.

“Our parents and families are incredibly committed; they’re savvy and extremely involved in our programs. Our students are out-of-the-box learners and thinkers. They get to learn to love learning in a way that works best for their brains. We want our students to utilize every portion of their brain when they are in school,” she explained.

The Canterbury Brook Academy of the Arts currently operates by rolling admissions and has students/families from as far away as Bergen County, New Paltz, Sullivan and Pike County. For more information on CBA, please visit: canterburybrookacademyofthearts.com.