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June 25, 2024Judge to Newark Superintendent: ‘Frankly, It’s Shameful’
Superior Court Judge Lisa Adubato dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Newark Public Schools (NPS) district that claims KIPP Seek Academy, a public charter school serving 561 K-4 students, should relinquish its building. This particular case is one in a number of lawsuits filed by the district, under the leadership of Newark Superintendent Roger Leon, that has cost taxpayers millions of dollars.
Advance Media first reported this story, noting that Leon’s administration is “widely viewed as hostile to charters,” which currently educate over one-third of Newark’s 60,000 public school students. According to a poll from New Jersey Children’s Foundation, 62% of Newark voters believe charter schools are an important part of the city’s public education landscape.
For the last several years Leon has tried to claw back a number of previously-sold buildings that were once part of NPS, including the old Maple Avenue School now housing KIPP Seek Academy, part of the KIPP public charter school network that serves 6,000 students in Newark and Camden. The building was originally sold by the Newark Housing Authority to a private developer, Hanini Group, to convert to apartments. Hanini later sold the facility to Friends of KIPP, which helps fund building costs. (Unlike traditional schools in New Jersey’s poorest cites, charters don’t get facilities aid from the state.)
After the sale to Friends of KIPP, NPS sued the Newark Housing Authority—KIPP joined the defense— claiming the district didn’t want Maple Avenue turned into a charter. However, Judge Adubato said the district never attached a deed restriction to the sale. “It could have said no Charter Schools allowed, or NBOE’s reversion rights run with the land, or subsequent purchasers are subject to reversion, anything along those lines,” Adubato said, according to a transcript of the hearing.
KIPP issued the following statement:
“This decision ensures that KIPP Seek Academy can continue to provide Newark students with a high-quality education and nurturing environment. We hope this ruling will send a clear message that it is time to move forward and give a rest to the theatrics and maneuvering which comes at great financial and emotional expense for students and educators.”
According to the ongoing tab kept by TAPintoNewark, Leon and the Newark Board of Education have spent more than $2.4 million in public funds in litigation costs to claw back both Maple Avenue School and State Street School. “Frankly,” Judge Adubato said, “it’s shameful.”
2 Comments
Let’s give every child the opportunity to receive an education in The Garden State. We can only do this when we understand our reality – which is not what we read in the media. Our national ranking is due to wealthy suburban families protecting ‘their schools’ via property tax dollars, while paying Kumon and private tutors to fill in the holes ‘their schools’ are leaving them with. Many wealthier families send their kids to near-by private schools (because of course they come to areas where families can afford to pay a high tuition) and the government school is allowed to retain ALL OF THE PER PUPIL REVENUE when that family leaves because it is derived via LOCAL PROPERTY TAXES vs. state income taxes. The schools can do more – because they have more. This works out well for government schools in wealthy suburbs. It’s why the equity gap in education continues to deepen. It’s due to the way we pay for government schools that are not accountable to their communities – or to equity – or to outcome. We need to be talking about PER PUPIL REVENUE and SOURCE. When we understand this, we will find the solutions to our challenges.
Unfortunately, this is an epidemic all over New Jersey. Down here in South Jersey, we here in Merchantville are paying a little over 2 million dollars a year for our children to go to Haddon Heights High School .Our kids makeup 30%of the 1500 population and Lawnside 60%. Our per pupil cost us 18.5 per pupil .If our tax dollars weren’t contributing to the wealthy suburban city of Haddon Heights that school would be non existent. Our children’s safety is being compromised daily. SOMETHING NEEDS TO CHANGE.! Only we the TAXPAYERS can make a change