Newark School’s Charter Revoked; 700 Families ‘Frantically Scrambling’

NEWARK, NJ — The families of nearly 700 students in Newark have learned that their school will close in two weeks, leaving many of them “frantically scrambling” just before summer vacation, advocates say.

University Heights Charter School (UCHS), a pre-K to grade 8 public charter school in Newark, announced Thursday that the New Jersey Department of Education has ruled to revoke its charter within a month.

“On short notice, the commissioner of education intends to close a locally founded public school that has served the Newark community for 16 years, bringing disorder to 700 students’ programs and a loss of about 120 jobs,” administrators said.

According to a statement from the school, here’s why the state wants to revoke its charter:

“The commissioner of education tried to support her decision based on test scores from the 2018-2019 school year and from subjective conclusions reported from one of the Department of Education evaluators who paid a short four-hour visit on March 14, 2022. Much of the information asserted by the evaluator cannot be verified as accurate by the University Heights Charter School.”

School administrators continued:

“The Department of Education cited New Jersey School Performance Report Comparative Performance Data that listed the 2018-2019 school year, before the arrival of a new administration and the implementation of certified teachers. The Department of Education’s conclusion was that the test scores in 2018-2019 were underperforming compared to the district of residence, Newark City Public Schools and the state of New Jersey … There have been no test score results since that 2018-2019 school year due to Covid. In May of 2022, the University Heights Charter School, along with all schools throughout New Jersey, participated in the New Jersey Student Learning Assessments. The test results for the University Heights Charter School have not been announced.”

The state’s decision comes as UCHS is preparing students and their families for the end of the 2021-2022 school year on June 17, and the beginning of a summer enrichment program, which was scheduled to begin on July 6.

And for many, it will create an “enrollment nightmare,” UCHS administrators say:

“The Department of Education intends to have the school’s students, who total nearly 700, enroll through Newark Enrolls, but the matching of the students to other schools is already closed and the sudden addition of students would either displace other children or result in over-crowded schools. This ruling comes just after University Heights Charter School successfully completed a second scholastic year dealing with the pain of COVID and the loss of in-person instruction.”

UHCS administrators said the school’s charter was renewed with a continued probation on Feb. 3, 2020 for a period of five years through June 30, 2025.

“That same year, a new administration was brought in by the Board of Trustees and this new administration successfully created numerous educational and social programs, including the return of music and art classes, free tutoring sessions for all students, a Before and After Care program, a new library, a summer reading program, and parent engagement workshops that are held on various occasions and have resulted in positive outreach, relationships and communication with the families and the entire community,” administrators said.

“Among the many increased events for the students are award ceremonies, spelling bee contests and educational field trips,” administrators said. “Additions to the school district’s staff to support the students’ social emotional learning included attendance and school counselors, as well as and parent coordinators.”

“The University Heights Charter School firmly believes that the commissioner’s decision was misguided, unfair, based on inadequate data and inexcusably late, to the severe detriment of hundreds of children and staff,” administrators concluded.

‘LEFT IN A LURCH’

The New Jersey Public Charter Schools Association (NJPCSA) also blasted the state’s decision to close University Heights Charter School.

Harry Lee, NJPCSA president and CEO, released the following statement on Friday.

“On June 1, the families of nearly 700 students learned that their school, University Heights Charter School (UCHS), a pre-K-8 public charter school in Newark, will close in two weeks. As a result of this unjustifiably late notification by the Acting Commissioner of Education, families are left in a lurch and are frantically scrambling to find an alternative school for their children for the summer and fall. Since 2006, UCHS has served the Newark community with support from Bethany Baptist Church, one of the city's largest and oldest Black churches. UCHS was set to deliver a robust summer enrichment program starting on July 6. Due to this closure decision, parents are left to fend for themselves with very little time. The lack of care, compassion, and planning for such a high-stakes decision that impacts so many low-income families is unconscionable.

“Public charter schools are the most accountable public schools in New Jersey and must meet rigorous academic and financial benchmarks in order to operate in New Jersey and we support this high level of accountability. However, the Murphy Administration’s decision making on public charter schools has both hurt and disrespected Black and Latino parents in Newark and throughout New Jersey. Four months ago, the Acting Commissioner of Education denied modest expansion requests of some of the highest performing charter schools not only in New Jersey but in the country. If those seats were granted, and this closure decision announced earlier, these families could have enrolled in high performing public charter schools in Newark for next school year. Instead, this last-minute closure will create chaos for UCHS families as they scramble to find a school for next year.

“The charter community stands ready to work with the affected families to try to find placements in charter schools for these students. We implore the Murphy Administration to work with the charter sector in Newark - some of the best charter schools ever created - to serve more students so that Newark parents can exercise their right for self-determination for their children.”

OTHER STRUGGLES

The school has also seen other struggles over the past year.

In December, UMB Bank asked a New Jersey court to put a receiver in charge of the assets and operations of University Heights Charter School, which educates nearly 700 students across three Newark campuses. The bank, which represents bondholders, said the school previously violated several loan agreements and saw its enrollment fall by 20 percent this school year, threatening its ability to repay its debt.

University Heights, which opened in 2006 with the support of Newark's Bethany Baptist Church, said it never missed any debt service payments and its default stemmed from "technical" loan violations that were resolved. In a brief filed last month, the school's attorneys said the bank and the majority bondholder, a French firm called Amundi Asset Management, had made "unlawful" demands to control the school's operations.

"This matter is about private interests attempting to take over a public school in Newark," the attorneys wrote.

• See related article: Newark Charter School Faces Threat Of Management Takeover Due To Loan Default

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