Fast Facts:

Law enacted: 1995

Number of charter schools: 91

Number of charter students: 57,500

Cap on the number of schools allowed: No

Virtual charters allowed: No

Charter Law Analysis:

AUTHORIZERS: The commissioner of education is the sole authorizer. Applications may be submitted to the local school board and the commissioner. If the local district is under state intervention, applications may be submitted to the state district superintendent. The local district or the superintendent only reviews applications. Denied applications are sent to the appellate division of the state superior court.

GROWTH: While New Jersey does not cap the number of charter schools in the state, the state has often denied renewals and potential for new schools. 

OPERATIONS: Instead of granting charters blanket waivers from regulations, charter school operators must request freedom from specific regulations in their charter applications. Without blanket waivers, charters are vulnerable to state politics, unaware of what waivers might be granted and/or tentative to request autonomies that might result in the denial of a charter application. Moreover, teacher certifications cannot be waived in New Jersey.

EQUITY: New Jersey law requires districts to send per pupil tuition to charters for students residing in the catchment area that choose charters. The law requires districts to pay for either 90% of the per-pupil program budget or 90% of the "thorough and efficient funding" amount. The total funding that charter schools receive is often much less than districts because they do not receive "adjustment aid" from the state. Also, districts can charge charters up to ten percent of per pupil funding to cover administrative fees. New Jersey's law does not provide any facilities funding. In 2023, a new bill required the New Jersey Economic Development Authority to establish and administer a $20 million Charter School and Renaissance School Project Facilities Loan Program, which would provide eligible borrowers with a loan including, but not limited to, subordinate loans, to undertake or facilitate school facilities projects for non-profit charter schools and non-profit renaissance school projects located in a Schools Development Authority district.

Fast Facts:

USE OF STUDENT DATA IN EVALUATING TEACHER PREP

"New Jersey requires educator preparation programs to collect and report data on program performance as measured by student growth, utilizing percentiles and/or objectives. Yet, NCTQ points out that "the state currently does not offer additional details to outline how these data are used during the program approval process.""

This is just one indicator from The National Council on Teacher Quality, which collects and analyzes states on how well their policies and practices lead to well-prepared teachers. They collect data on state laws and regulations concerning the preparation of teachers, the policies that govern their oversight and the contracts that guide their employment. Learn more about your state here.