Charter Schools Rally In Mercer, Protest State Denial To Expand

MERCER COUNTY, NJ — Over 200 parents and students from New Jersey’s public charter schools gathered at the State House Annex in Trenton Thursday to protest the state’s denial to expand the schools.

In February New Jersey blocked the expansion of “high-performing” charter schools in Newark, Trenton, Kearny, New Brunswick and Paterson, preventing them from serving more students.

Parents and students traveled from across the state to urge Gov. Phil Murphy and the Department of Education to reverse this decision and support the growth of charter schools. The rally was organized by the New Jersey Public Charter School Association (NJPCSA).

“We are here today to ensure that the voices of parents and students are heard, especially when you realize that these decisions disproportionately impact our most vulnerable communities and will rip kids away from the schools they love,” said Harry Lee, President of the NJPCSA.

The state’s denial to expand the schools will displace hundreds of low-income families of color from attending high-performing schools, the NJPCSA said.

North Star, Newark’s largest charter school was denied the request to add 300 seats, and the state turned down a request from Philip’s Academy to add grades 9-12, reported Chalkbeat. These schools were designated as academically high-performing by the state.

Following the various denials, #LetMyChildLearn campaign was launched. Community members sent 13,970 emails requesting Murphy to reverse the decisions made by the DOE, NJPCSA said.

“Our students were just starting to feel a return to normalcy following the COVID-19 pandemic and now they are being taken out of the schools they believe in,” TJ Best, Government Affairs Director of NJPCSA said. “These denials are the direct opposite of Governor Murphy’s commitment to supporting high-quality New Jersey public charter schools. We continue to urge the Department of Education to listen to our families and students and allow them to make the best decision for their children’s educational careers.”

Many parents said that the Murphy Administration's decision was leaving families with limited options.

“The Murphy Administration’s rejections to allow great public charter schools to enroll more students are leaving parents with no options,” said Jasmine Morrison, whose children attend North Star Academy.

“With approximately 20,000 students on charter waiting lists, the future remains bleak for families demanding better school alternatives to overcome the trappings of generational poverty.”

Officially, charter schools are public schools even though they operate outside the local school district. The DOE sets limits to the number of students a charter school can take and determines which grade levels they can offer.

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