By JESSICA HARDING
Staff Writer
RED BANK Three groups are voicing opposition to the renewal of the Red Bank Charter School for an additional five years by the New Jersey Department of Education (DOE).
The DOE decision for the five-year renewal was made based on the school’s environment, interactions among staff and students and the overall way the school was run, according to a state report that was released March 1.
Acting state Education Commissioner Kimberley Harrington recorded in her report that the charter school was “faithful to its mission and has implemented the key design elements included in its charter.”
As soon as the decision of the five-year renewal was made public, the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey (ACLU), the Fair Schools Group, comprised of parents against the charter school, and the Latino Coalition of New Jersey announced that they would appeal the decision in court, according to a statement released by the ACLU.
As specified by parent Wayne Woolley, several parents have spearheaded and joined the Fair Schools Group (FSG), which was formed to demand a fair playing ground and the closing of the school.
Woolley has two daughters at Red Bank Middle School and has made it clear that he thought the charter school was doing severe damage.
The group had contacted the Latino Coalition of New Jersey (LCNJ), a civil rights organization located in Freehold that was formed in 2003. The coalition came on board in January of 2016 as the groups filed a civil rights complaint against the school.
RBCS Principal Meredith Pennotti said she could not be happier with the renewal decision.
“For nearly two decades, Red Bank Charter School has provided a choice in public education for Red Bank families, and we are thrilled that the Department of Education has given us the opportunity to continue serving our community,” she said.
According to its review, the NJDOE stated that students at the charter school felt at home there.
“The school promotes a culture of high expectations and is safe, respectful and supportive. Interviewed students spoke about the community feel of the school. They indicated that the school feels like a ‘family’ where they are free to pursue activities they find interesting and may have a positive impact on the community.”
The NJDOE also felt the school made sure to deliver communications to every member of the Red Bank community in order to provide information on how the lottery is run and how students may apply, according to the report.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Communities Survey, RBCS’s 2016-17 population is 43 percent white, 43 percent Hispanic and 12 percent African American, closely reflecting the school-age population of Red Bank, which is 36 percent white, 39 percent Hispanic and 25 percent African American.
According to the statement by the ACLU, the federal government is currently investigating RBCS’s civil rights procedures.
LCNJ Director Frank Argote-Freyre has strongly disagreed with the charter school since the beginning.
“We are disappointed, but unfortunately not surprised. The Christie Administration is not renowned for its advocacy of civil rights.”
He went on to say, “In case after case, we have found charter schools contributing to segregated environments. The RBCS is the worst example in the state of a publicly funded charter school fostering a segregated learning environment.”
According to the ACLU statement, the racial composition of RBCS’s student body does not reflect that of the municipality’s student-aged population. White students are significantly overrepresented at RCBS while Latino students are significantly underrepresented compared to the public schools, according to the ACLU.
As a strong advocate to end supposed discriminatory practices in the school district, Woolley stated that he, along with 1,400 public school families are disappointed in Harrington’s decision.
“Although today is not the day that school segregation draws to a close in Red Bank, our organization is grateful for the ACLU’s willingness to fight on behalf of our children, and we believe firmly that justice will ultimately prevail to allow every child in our community equal access to all public education opportunities.”
Pennotti said he is not surprised with the outrage over the renewal.
“We fully anticipated that these groups would continue their assault on the RBCS. But with so much segregation in New Jersey schools, it’s ironic that the ACLU would target one of the few schools in the state that is racially and ethnically integrated,” she said.
According to Pennotti, Harrington took the ACLU’s arguments into consideration when she reviewed the RBCS renewal application and dismissed them.
“The ACLU is merely recycling the same arguments that were previously rejected by the state Appellate Division in 2004. We thank Commissioner Harrington for giving us another five years to continue providing students an opportunity to learn and grow in an integrated school immersed in one another’s culture and experiences.”
For more information or to enter the lottery system for the 2017-18 school year, visit redbankcharterschool.com.
For more information on the LCNJ, FSG or ACLU, visit lcnj.org, fairschoolsredbank.org or aclu.org.