New Jersey Department of Education

Closure Process

All New Jersey public schools, which include charter schools, must be held to high standards in order to ensure that all children receive a high-quality educational experience. Charter schools must demonstrate strong academic performance and are held accountable for student outcomes.

If a charter school violates any provision of its charter or fails to meet the standards set forth is its charter agreement or the Performance Framework, then the charter school may be closed.

Historically, charter schools have closed for three reasons: the Commissioner revoked the charter, the Commissioner did not renew the charter, or the charter school's board of trustees surrendered its charter. The Commissioner may revoke a school's charter at any time following review by the Department. Pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:11-2.4, the Commissioner may place a school on probation before charter revocation, but probationary status is not necessary for revocation.

The Commissioner may make the decision to deny the renewal of a charter per N.J.A.C. 6A:11-2.3 upon comprehensive review of the charter school at the end of its charter term.

The NJDOE ensures a smooth transition for students when decisions are made to close a charter school.

Closed Charter Schools (as of June 2020)

Revoked

Operational schools that had charters revoked by the Commissioner

  • REACH Charter School - April 18, 2000 effective immediately
  • Simon Bolivar Charter School - September 1, 2000 effective immediately
  • College Preparatory Academy Charter School - June 14, 2001 effective immediately
  • Greenville Community Charter School - April 11, 2001 effective June 30, 2001
  • Russell Academy Charter School - August 16, 2001 effective August 30, 2001
  • CALLA Charter School - June 12, 2002 effective June 30, 2002
  • Paterson Charter School for Urban Leadership - July 17, 2003 effective immediately
  • Franklin Charter School - July 22, 2003 effective immediately
  • Right Path Charter School - January 4, 2005 effective January 14, 2005
  • Benchmark Academy Charter High School - November 6, 2006 effective November 10, 2006
  • Mercer Arts Charter School - December 17, 2007 effective December 27, 2007
  • Schomburg Charter School - May 17, 2012 effective June 29, 2012
  • Adelaide L. Sanford Charter School - June 17, 2013 effective June 28, 2013
  • 100 Legacy Academy Charter School - April 11, 2013 effective June 28, 2013
  • City Invincible Charter School - May 1, 2014 effective June 30, 2014
  • Galloway Community Charter School - March 13, 2014 effective June 30, 2015
  • Merit Preparatory Charter School - February 28, 2017 effective June 30, 2017
  • Newark Prep Charter School - February 28, 2017 effective June 30, 2017
  • Paulo Freire Charter School - February 28, 2017 effective June 30, 2017
  • Lady Liberty Academy - January 12, 2018 effective June 30, 2018
  • University Heights Charter School – June 1, 2022, effective June 30, 2022

Surrendered

Operational schools that voluntarily surrendered their charter

  • Galloway Kindergarten Charter School - September 1, 2000
  • Alexander Hamilton Charter School - October 12, 2001
  • Family Alliance Charter School - July 31, 2001
  • Learning Center Charter School - June 30, 2003
  • Granville Charter School - June 30, 2004
  • Pleasantville Charter School for Academic Excellence - June 30, 2005
  • TLC Charter School - September 20, 2006
  • Dr. Ellen G. Pressman Charter School - December 31, 2009
  • Capital Prep Charter High School - June 30, 2011
  • Kingdom Charter school - June 30, 2019
  • Environment Community Opportunity Charter School –June 30, 2022

Charters Not Renewed

Schools which were operational for the life of at least one charter and were not granted a renewal of the charter

  • Samuel DeWitt Proctor Academy Charter School - May 1, 2001 effective June 30, 2001
  • Greater Trenton Area Academic & Technology Charter School - December 17, 2001 effective June 30, 2002
  • Gateway Charter School - December 30, 2005 effective June 30, 2006
  • CREATE Charter School - March 1, 2010 effective June 30, 2010
  • Trenton Community Charter School - June 15, 2011 effective June 30, 2011
  • Emily Fisher Charter School - March 2, 2012 effective June 30, 2012
  • PleasanTech Academy Charter School - March 2, 2012 effective June 30, 2012
  • Oceanside Charter School - February 28, 2013 effective June 28, 2013
  • The Institute for Excellence Charter School - February 28, 2013 effective June 28, 2013
  • Liberty Academy Charter School - February 28, 2013 effective June 28, 2013
  • Renaissance Regional Leadership Charter School - March 5, 2014 effective June 30, 2014
  • D.U.E. Season Charter School - March 5, 2014 effective June 30, 2014
  • Greater Newark Charter School - April 17, 2014 effective June 30, 2014
  • Central Jersey Arts Charter School - March 13, 2015 effective June 30, 2015
  • Camden Community Charter School - February 28, 2017 effective June 30, 2017
  • Great Futures - January 12, 2018 effective June 30, 2018
  • International Academy of Trenton - January 12, 2018 effective June 30, 2018
  • METS Charter School - February 3, 2020 effective June 30, 2020

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