St. Joseph Hill Academy

St. Joseph Hill Academy was established by the Congregation of the Daughters of Divine Charity in 1930 on a seventeen-acre site in Staten Island in the tradition of its foundress, Mother Franceska Lechner. Hill received its charter of recognition and full accreditation from the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York in 1938 and its accreditation from the Middle States Association of Secondary Schools and Colleges in 1970. In 2008, Hill was granted an Absolute Charter by the New York State Education Department. A Board of Trustees governs Hill and is comprised of members of the Daughters of Divine Charity, business leaders, doctors, lawyers, teachers, and parents of former students.

Known for its academic rigor, Hill is highly selective in its admission policy. Students admitted to Hill usually obtain a 90% or higher cumulative grade point average in elementary school and score above average on the TACHS Entrance Exam. Hill draws its 467, all-female student population largely from catholic, public, and private elementary schools located on Staten Island and in Brooklyn communities neighboring the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. The socio-economic background of the families is comprised of professionals, civil servants and blue-collar workers. Seventy-seven percent of the students attending Hill come from dual-income families. The student body is largely catholic (86%), and the remaining students who are non-catholic are required to participate in religion classes and religious services. The student body is comprised of 15% minorities (Hispanic or Latino, Asian or Pacific Islander, Black or African American, Multi-Racial or Native American).