NEW JERSEY – April 2, 2024 – The New Jersey Public Charter Schools Association (NJPCSA) proudly celebrates the achievement of three public charter schools in securing High Impact Tutoring grants from the New Jersey Department of Education in a second round of funding:

Foundation Academy Charter School – Trenton, NJ
People’s Achieve Charter School – Newark, NJ
Unity Charter School – Morristown, NJ

The initial grant funding of $41 million, announced in November 2023, has already led to meaningful improvements across 240 districts and public charter schools, demonstrating significant learning gains among participating students. Building on the success of the first round, this second round, exceeding $7 million, intensifies the focus on evidence-based strategies to further enhance student learning and mitigate learning loss.

“Public charter schools have always known the value of going above and beyond traditional educational methods to ensure every child succeeds, particularly in closing opportunity gaps. This investment by the New Jersey Department of Education into our public charter schools affirms the vital role that high-impact tutoring plays in student achievement and in making education equitable,” states Harry Lee, President and CEO of the New Jersey Public Charter Schools Association. “We are proud of our public charter schools for being recognized as deserving recipients of this grant. It is a testament to their hard work, dedication to student success, and commitment to providing all students with the opportunities they deserve.”

With the additional support, the selected public charter schools will be able to enhance their ability to partner with educational service vendors, nonprofit organizations, and colleges to expand tutoring services and provide targeted support outside of regular classroom hours.

“We appreciate the Department’s recognition of how Foundation Academy equips our scholars to excel in learning by meeting scholars where they are, and tailoring our teaching so they achieve academic goals,” said Sheria McRae, Foundation Academy Chief Executive Officer. “This grant provides resources so our scholars can continue rising up from the pandemic. We are empowering our scholars to not just catch up academically, but to leap ahead and stay on course.”

NJPCSA extends its gratitude to the New Jersey Department of Education for investing in the future of New Jersey’s public school children and remaining committed to ensuring that all students have access to a high-quality education.

For more information about public charter schools in New Jersey, visit www.njcharters.org

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About Public Charter Schools
Charter schools are tuition-free public schools run by non-profit organizations open to all students regardless of zip code, race/ethnicity or ability level. Charter schools operate with more flexibility than traditional public schools in exchange for increased accountability and high financial, academic and managerial standards by an authorizer. A “charter” is a contract with an authorizer detailing the school’s mission, program, performance goals and methods of assessments. In New Jersey, the New Jersey Department of Education serves as the sole authorizer and oversees all public charter schools in the state.

About the New Jersey Public Charter Schools Association
The New Jersey Public Charter Schools Association (NJPCSA) is the non-profit membership association that represents the state’s public charter school community and, by extension, charter school students and their parents. There are currently 85 public charter schools in New Jersey serving more than 62,000 students. We are committed to advancing quality public education for New Jersey’s children through the cultivation of excellent public charter schools. The Association seeks to influence legislative and policy environments, leverage collective advocacy, and provide resources to support our members in developing and operating high quality, public charter schools.