Yesterday, October 29th, the Superior Court of Essex County released a summary judgment for $768,487, “awarded in its entirety,” to Friends of TEAM Charter School. This judgment is part of a lawsuit pressed by Newark Public Schools District against the Newark Housing Authority (NHA) and TEAM Academy.

This case goes back to 2020 when Superintendent Roger Leon sued TEAM and NHA in an effort to claw back the district’s old Maple Avenue School that, years earlier, had been sold to a private developer, which in turn sold it to KIPP-NJ, the highly-regarded charter school network in Newark. New Jersey doesn’t provide facilities funding for public charters in low-income districts like they do for traditional schools so they must seek outside funding. Friends of TEAM spent $10 million renovating the building to convert it into what is now KIPP Seek Academy, which educates 500 Newark students.

At the time, Chalkbeat reported, “the Maple Avenue lawsuit was just one of León’s efforts to increase enrollment and stop the expansion of charter schools in Newark, which are privately run but publicly funded schools.”

Despite the district’s expenditure of $2.4 million in taxpayer money to claw back this school and another building, State Street School. this past June the case was dismissed by Superior Court Judge Lisa Adubato. Judge Adubato commented,

“I absolutely have, very close to the forefront if not at the forefront, the fact that this has been going on for four years between two public entities in a situation where it’s — frankly, it’s shameful — the amount of money” that has been spent, Essex County Superior Court Judge Lisa M. Adubato said in April, according to a transcript of the hearing. She then said, “I’m gonna stop myself.”  

NJ Education Report has asked NPS for comment. If the district responds, this article will be updated.

UPDATE: Newark Public Schools spokesman Paul Brubaker has responded to NJ Ed Report’s request. His full press release (available here) says the “the blindfold on Lady Justice appears to have punctured holes” and the district will appeal the ruling.