Court Upholds Decision to Keep NJ Hebrew Charter School Open

A New Jersey state court upheld a decision Wednesday to allow a Hebrew immersion charter school to stay open in East Brunswick in what amounts to a legal victory for supporters of charter schools across the state, where multiple suburban districts are fighting similar proposals.

The judges ruled the Hatikvah International Academy Charter School met state requirements, and saw no need to second guess the education commissioner's approval.

The K-2 school opened in September 2010, and teaches in both Hebrew and English. The school’s website says it plans to expand a grade a year up to grade eight.

Three other suburbs are fighting proposed Hebrew charter schools: Woodland Park, Highland Park and Teaneck. Parents in Highland Park, which is a suburb of New Brunswick, organized an “occupy the Department of Education” protest in Trenton last week.

Several other charters with a variety of themes are being challenged by their suburban districts, including Princeton, Cherry Hill, Maplewood, Millburn  

Though charter schools have been popular in New Jersey's urban school districts,  parents in suburban districts have fought the charter proposals as expensive and unneeded. 

For example, in Cherry Hill, the charter school would cost the district $1.9 million a year, and officials say that is approximately the cost of 30 teachers.

But, as with the case of Hatikvah, opponents tend to base their legal fight on technicalities.

“Three times East Brunswick has brought a meritless challenge to try to shut down our school, and each challenge has failed,” said a written statement released by the school. “The state education commissioner, the career attorneys in the attorney general’s office, and now three independent judges have all said the same thing: Hatikvah’s charter is valid and its service to students should continue.”