Newark Students Hold Huge ‘Save Our School’ Rally At City Hall (VIDEO)

NEWARK, NJ — There are many reasons why the state shouldn’t shut down Merit Prep Charter School in Newark, but to really understand why the school is so important to the community, you need to listen to the students, supporters say.

Earlier this month, a massive contingent of students, educators and community members converged on the steps of Newark City Hall to protest the New Jersey Department of Education’s decision to shut three local charters schools down at the end of the school year, including Merit Prep.

The three schools - Newark Prep Charter School, Paulo Friere Charter School, and Merit Prep Charter School – had all been on probation prior to the decision, according to the DOE.

• See related article: 3 Newark Charter Schools Ordered To Shut Down

Watch video footage of the April 5 rally below.

Administrators at Newark Prep and Paulo Friere Charter School have said that while there is little they can do in a practical legal sense to fight the closures, they plan to make their voices heard.

It’s a vow that their peers at Merit Prep have taken to heart as well, supporters of the school say.

In a March 10 letter to Acting NJ DOE Commissioner Kimberly Harrington, Merit Prep administrators wrote that they were “devastated” by the state’s plans to close their school. Read the full letter here.

However - instead of anger - parents, teachers and students expressed their deep love and appreciation for the school and their desire to save it, administrators stated.

“Merit Prep was designed to help students who struggle both academically and personally,” school administrators stated. “Many students came from schools in Newark – both charter and district – where they were either expelled or bullied, and there’s a deep fear that the students will now have to return to those kinds of environments. They want to stay at a school that meets them where they are, that is a safe haven and feels like home. Merit Prep is more than just a building. It is home. It is family. And right now, students and parents feel like they are losing both.”

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

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Photo: Merit Prep