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Central Jersey College Prep: Exceeding Expectations And Planning For The Future

Central Jersey College Prep Charter School (CJCP) is a K-12 public charter school located in Franklin Twp. New Jersey. Our school was recognized as a 2016 National Blue Ribbon School, an award that recognizes a very select group of schools around the country for their overall academic excellence or their efforts to close the achievement gap. Since our founding in 2006, we have remained steadfast in our commitment to prepare a diverse student population from Franklin Township, New Brunswick City, and North Brunswick Township to achieve success at a four-year college or university, and to be thoughtful, contributing members of society.

Exceeding Expectations

With a proven track record of success, Central Jersey College Prep Charter School has raised the bar of what should be expected in public education in the Garden State:

  • In 2015, CJCP was classified as a “Tier One” school by the New Jersey Department of Education, its highest recognition of excellence.
  • 2016 marks the fifth consecutive time Central Jersey College Prep achieved a 100% graduation rate and 100% acceptance rate into four-year colleges and universities.
  • In 2015, we were the recipient of the U.S. News and World Report Bronze Award. The award recognizes the best schools throughout the country.
  • At CJCP, students are exposed to honors and advanced level courses with higher standards. This year, 65% of our students are enrolled in at least one AP course and 84% of our students have taken a college-level course during their school tenure.
  • Central Jersey College Prep Charter School is committed to helping close the achievement gap.  In the 2016 PARRC exam, CJCP students outperformed their peers from every one of its sending districts (Franklin Twp., New Brunswick and North Brunswick.) in every subject.

Planning for the Future

With nearly 630 children on our waiting list, Central Jersey College Prep Charter School is currently seeking to increase enrollment at our Somerset school and create a satellite campus in New Brunswick as way to meet the growing demand in the community.  The proposed expansion and creation of a new campus will help to further our mission of providing academic and social opportunities to a diverse student population. On December 1, 2016, CJCP submitted a proposed charter amendment to the New Jersey Department of Education is is currently awaiting a decision.

Enrollment Expansion

Central Jersey College Prep Charter School currently educates 624 students. In an effort to meet the needs of families, we are seeking to expand enrollment at our Franklin Twp. (Somerset County) campus.  We want to allow more families to be a part of our school community as the demand for admission to CJCP has dramatically increased over the last several years – 465 applications for 2014-15 and 956 for 2016-17.

Central Jersey College Prep Charter School is seeking to phase-in a student enrollment increase over a two year period. We are seeking an expansion for grades K-2 to 72 students per grade for the 2017-2018 school year with that increasing to 96 students per grade starting 2018-2019 school year. The current second grade will continue as 48 students through the end of 5th grade. This will allow for consistency within the grade level in addition to focus on curriculum and assessment due to implementation of state testing starting the third grade.

Under our proposal, the enrollment increase for middle and high school will also be phased-in. The current grades 6-12 will remain the same as they cycle out through grade 12. The incoming 6th grade class for the 2017-2018 school year will increase to 72 and remain at 72 through graduation. Enrollment for 6th grade starting in the 2018-2019 school year will move to 96 and remain at that rate moving forward each school year. If approved, by the school year 2019-20 CJCP will have 960 students at its Somerset campus.

New Facility

Should the enrollment expansion be approved, CJCP would relocate to a larger facility in Franklin Twp. Our new facility will be better equipped to meet the needs of our school community. The building will provide additional classroom space, granting us the ability to offer additional elective courses that require dedicated spaces such as engineering, robotics, digital art, and music. Since the Franklin Township Board of Education no longer allows charter school students to participate in district athletic activities or use athletic facilities, our new proposed facility will have a gymnasium, which will allow us to offer afterschool sports and extracurricular activities.

Satellite Campus

Although CJCP currently educates students from New Brunswick, there is no charter high school located within the actual City. Although another charter school exists, it only educates a limited number of New Brunswick students at the elementary and middle school levels.

Starting in the 2018-2019 school year, CJCP is seeking to add a new facility within New Brunswick. The first year of operation the school would serve grades 6, 7 and 9. The total enrollment for each grade would be 72 students for a total enrollment of 216 children. Each academic year the 6th grade will gain a maximum of 72 new students until the school reaches full capacity for all grades 6-12 with 72 students at each grade level.

Currently, New Brunswick City operates at a rate of 86% free and reduced lunch for high school students and 93% for middle school students. In terms of demographics, 88 percent of City’s students are Hispanic and another 10 percent are African-American. Additionally, roughly two-thirds of students in the New Brunswick use English as their second language.

We firmly believe all children should have the opportunity to achieve at a high level and our school will meet that need by delivering a rigorous academic curriculum while helping to close the achievement gap. We believe creating a satellite campus in New Brunswick gives us greater access to an economically disadvantaged student population in need of a high quality education that prepares them for college. CJCP is confident that positioning this satellite campus within the boundaries of New Brunswick will increase the awareness of the school within an underserved community.


This content is sponsored by Central Jersey College Prep Charter School.

 

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