Loophole Is Flooding N.J. With Charter School ‘Satellites,’ Group Says

There are currently 88 charter schools officially listed on the New Jersey Department of Education website. But in reality, there are at least 135 different charter schools serving students in the Garden State, according to an education advocacy nonprofit.

Last week, the Newark-based Education Law Center (ELC) filed a series of comments with the New Jersey State Board of Education, alleging that charter schools in the state are taking advantage of a policy loophole that allows them to open numerous additional schools as "satellite” campuses, even though their charters may have initially been granted for a single school.

“The NJDOE lists 88 charter schools on its website,” the ELC charges. “But [our] informal count in 2016 found at least 135 charter schools serving students, including several national charter networks operating three or more schools in different locations.”

If the thought of dozens of charter schools being approved via an under-the-radar process makes you angry, then hold onto your hats, the ELC claims.

“Now the Christie administration wants to go even further,” the nonprofit stated in a Wednesday news release. “The state Board of Education is proposing a new rule that would allow a charter school operator to establish not just one, but multiple, satellite campuses. Charter operators could open new schools without filing new charter applications by simply amending their existing charters. This would allow operators to bypass a more formal process under the law, in which affected school districts are provided ample notice and opportunity to file objections.”

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According to N.J.A.C. 6A:11, a school may apply to the DOE and Commissioner for an amendment to its charter for the following reasons:

• Opening a new satellite campus
• Expanding enrollment
• Expanding grade levels
• Changing or adding a district or region of residence

According to the New Jersey Charter Schools Association (NJCSA), a nonprofit group that represents the state’s charter school community, there is no longer a limit to the number of charter schools that can be established.

The New Jersey Charter School Program Act of 1995 requires a minimum of three charter schools to be allocated to each county, the NJCSA states.

• See related article: Newark Students May ‘Lose A Home And Family’ If Charter Schools Close (VIDEOS)

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