NJ Spotlight published the following article on June 25, 2014. To read the full article, click here.
TWELVE FINALISTS CLEAR FIRST ROUND OF APPLICATION REVIEWS FOR CHARTER SCHOOLS
JOHN MOONEY | JUNE 25, 2014Successful applicants not concentrated in larger cities, where charter movement has made strong inroads
Twelve charter school applications have made it to the second round of the state’s review process, a significant reduction from the original roster of nearly 40.
The state released the names of the 12 finalists this week, including two new schools each for Plainfield and Bridgeton, and one startup apiece for Lakewood and Elizabeth.
Final applications will be submitted in July, and the next round of reviews will include interviews of the applicants. Schools will be notified in September if they have preliminary approval to open in the fall of 2015. Final charters are not granted until the summer before the school opens, after a final preparedness assessment.
Thirty-eight schools had initially applied in March, four of them disqualified as incomplete and one withdrawn, state officials said.