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Charter Schools

A charter school is a public school that operates as its own Local Education Agency (LEA) under a charter granted by the Commissioner. The New Jersey Department of Education is the State Education Agency (SEA) and sole charter school authorizer in New Jersey and is responsible for setting the standards for and holding current and future public charter schools accountable for providing New Jersey students with a high-quality public education.

Charter School Spotlight

Merit Preparatory Charter SchoolMerit Preparatory Charter School

In August, 80 Newark students will pack their backpacks and head to school just like thousands of their peers. What makes these students different, however, is that they are the first class of sixth graders at Merit Preparatory Charter School, one of just two hybrid schools in New Jersey.

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Community Charter School of Paterson

City Invincible Charter School

Imagine planning to open and operate a farmer's market. You have to identify what fruits and vegetables you would like to sell, figure out how you will grow and harvest the plants and then plan to sell them to make a profit. An exercise like this will not only teach you about operating a business, but also help you to develop an understanding of how science, math and technology apply to real life experiences.

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