Statistic of the Day: Newark Families' Top Choices Are Charter Schools

Newark Public Schools released data this week on parent preferences among the district's seventy-two traditional and charter schools. The One Newark universal enrollment allows parents to rank their top choices for their children.  From the Star-Ledger:

50 percent of all K-8 applicants tried to get into North Star Academy Charter School during the first round of enrollment this year, the district said. 40 percent chose TEAM Charter Schools, and 26 percent chose Phillips's Academy Charter School. According to the district, charter schools made up the top seven most popular k-8 school options.

Here are the top seven picks:

North Star Academy: 50%
TEAM Charter Schools: 40%
Philip’s Academy Charter School: 26%
Marion P. Thomas Charter School: 18%
Lady Liberty Charter School: 16%
Newark Legacy Charter School: 16%

The final three in the top ten were were traditional district schools: Ann Street and First Avenue with 13% and Lafayette St. with 11%.

Assembly members Patrick Diegnan and Mila Jasey, who are sponsoring a charter moratorium bill, A 4351, should take note. Your bill specifically sabotages the wishes of parents in Newark. If any readers are interested, there's a petition circulating that hopes to persuade Assembly Education Committee members to vote against the bill. See here. For more coverage of A4351, see here.