Is Hoboken ‘Turning Page’ About HoLa After Costly Legal Battle?

HOBOKEN, NJ — Has the Hoboken community turned a page about the Hoboken Dual Language Charter School (HoLa) after an expensive court battle that pitted the school against the local board of education?

The school recently celebrated a high-profile nod from the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) as a “Dual Language Model Program,” making it one of five in the state – and the only charter – to earn the designation, administrators said.

HoLa, which serves about 400 students in grades K-8, is the only Spanish immersion dual language public charter school in the state. It is also the first to receive NJDOE approval to provide a low-income preference and English language learner preference in its lottery, administrators said.

• See related article: Lottery At Hoboken Charter School Favors Low-Income, ELL Students

As part of the award, the NJDOE said that HoLa will serve as a “resource for other districts in the state and enable educators to witness firsthand exemplary practices in dual language instruction and assessment.”

HoLa celebrated its model program award at an assembly that saw guest appearances from Mayor Ravi Bhalla and City Councilmembers Mike DeFusco and Emily Jabbour.

The assembly also included comments of support from Hoboken District Superintendent Christine Johnson, notable in context of the recent resolution of a bitter legal battle between the school and the Hoboken Board of Education.

According to a previous statement from HoLa, the years of legal action between the three involved parties - HoLa, the Hoboken Board of Education and the New Jersey Department of Education – cost taxpayers more than $200,000.

The Hoboken Board of Education sued the school in March 2014 after the Department of Education approved the school's expansion to the 8th grade. At the time, the school's oldest students were in 5th grade. Hoboken BOE members had argued that the charter school's expansion has shown trends of segregation, and that the percentage of minority students who attend HoLa is about half that of the district's public schools.

A state appellate court ruled in June 2017 that contrary to school administrators' claims, there was no evidence of socio-economic impact or an adverse funding impact to the Hoboken district from its expansion.

• See related article: Hoboken BOE vs. HoLa: Appellate Court Rules In Charter School's Favor

“We’re here to celebrate what HoLa has accomplished through the years,” Bhalla said during Friday’s gathering. “When we look at Hoboken, we always want to be ahead of the curve and be an example, and HoLa is leading the way.”

The mayor also made note of Johnson’s attendance at the event.

“I think Dr. Johnson’s presence shows that we as a community have turned the page and we are coming together to work together,” Bhalla said. “There are great things happening in the district schools, great things happening in the charter schools and what really matters is that we start having a conversation and continue that conversation so that we are working together, because at the end of the day we are one community. We can all learn from each other and I’m so proud that Hola in its own distinct way is not only a model for Hoboken but for the entire state of New Jersey.”

Johnson offered the HoLa community her congratulations on Friday.

“One of the most powerful things we can do as human beings is recognize the strengths and accomplishments in others,” she said. “I think it’s good for the soul and for community building, and great for education.”

Jennifer Sargent, HoLa’s executive director and lead founder of the school, said it was “incredibly meaningful” to have representatives from the state, the county, the city and local district schools present at the celebration.

“This really is an inspiring glimpse of what public education can look like, coming together in support of all of our students: those here are HoLa, in our neighboring schools throughout Hoboken and across the state,” Sargent said.

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Photo: Hoboken Dual Language Charter School