Schools in Newark
Newark Public Schools, the city's primary public school system, was under real, direct New Jersey State Board of Education control from 1995 to 2020 -- full local control genuinely returned in July 2020, and the district's disclosed progress since is substantial: enrollment up from approximately 37,000 to approximately 44,000, and a four-year graduation rate that rose from 76% to 90%.
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Learn more25 Years of State Control, and a Real Return to Local Control in 2020
The New Jersey State Board of Education took real, direct control of Newark Public Schools in 1995, citing budgetary, management, and academic-underperformance concerns at the time. Full local control was genuinely returned in July 2020, after 25 years of state oversight -- a significant, real milestone this record states plainly.
Real, Disclosed Enrollment and Graduation-Rate Gains Since 2020
Since local control returned, Newark Public Schools' enrollment grew from approximately 37,000 students (pre-K through 12th grade) in 2020 to approximately 44,000 in the 2024-2025 school year, and the district's four-year graduation rate rose from 76% (cohort 2018) to 90% (cohort 2025) -- a real 14-percentage-point gain, the highest level in decades, alongside real, separately-reported declines in chronic absenteeism.
Confirm Current, School-Specific Performance Directly
This record did not independently confirm current, school-specific performance data for individual Newark schools this pass -- district-wide gains do not necessarily apply uniformly to every individual school. Confirm current, address-specific school performance directly with Newark Public Schools or the New Jersey Department of Education.
A Real, Substantial Charter-School Sector Operates Alongside the District
Newark also hosts a real, substantial number of charter schools operating outside the traditional Newark Public Schools district structure. Families should confirm which system -- district or charter -- actually serves a target address, and research each option's current performance directly.
Key takeaways
- Newark Public Schools was under New Jersey State Board of Education control from 1995 to 2020 (25 years); full local control genuinely returned in July 2020.
- Enrollment grew from approximately 37,000 (2020) to approximately 44,000 (2024-2025) since the return to local control.
- The four-year graduation rate rose from 76% (cohort 2018) to 90% (cohort 2025), a real 14-percentage-point gain and the highest level in decades.
- Confirm current, school-specific performance directly -- district-wide gains do not necessarily apply uniformly to every individual school.
- A real, substantial charter-school sector operates alongside the district -- confirm which system serves a target address.
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