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Thousands of Newark Public Schools students are expected to return to school next week where they will be greeted by new teachers, new classmates, and a new schedule.
Approximately 40,000 students are enrolled in the district this school year and, under a new universal schedule, will have a longer school day that guarantees a lunch break for teachers. This year, the district said it hired hundreds of new teachers but continues to face challenges in recruiting educators who can teach science, math, students with disabilities, and multilingual students.
The district has seen a surge in English language learners, who make up more than a quarter of enrollment this upcoming year. Another 7,000 students with disabilities will return to classrooms next week, adding to the district’s growing number of vulnerable students.
District leaders are managing a $1.5 billion budget with more money allocated for vulnerable students but face the end of federal COVID relief funds that helped expand tutoring in schools and other initiatives. The district said it installed nearly 900 air conditioners across classrooms this summer, with more on the way. The efforts came after parents, teachers, and students had long raised concerns about the uncomfortably hot temperatures in classrooms at the start of each school year.
The district must also confront several pressing needs such as upgrading its aging school buildings, raising student attendance supporting student academic recovery, and grappling with the impacts of racial harassment and diversity. Superintendent Roger León has said he plans to further artificial intelligence technology to support teachers in the classroom and keep students safe.
New school hours, longer days
This year’s biggest change for students comes after the Newark Teachers Union and the district agreed to a new school schedule that guarantees all teachers a 45-minute lunch break and transition time.
Students across all grades are expected to arrive at school at 8:15 a.m. and will be dismissed at 3:05 p.m. starting on Sept. 3. Last year, the school day ran from 8:25 a.m. to 2:55 p.m. for elementary school students and from 8:15 a.m. to 2:40 p.m. for high school students. The new schedule means students will spend six hours and 50 minutes in school – 20 minutes more than last year for elementary school students and 25 minutes more for high schoolers.
The new hours also extend the work day for teachers to seven hours as they are required to arrive no later than five minutes before students.
More vulnerable students in need of classroom support
Just under half of the district’s enrollment this school year will be made up of vulnerable students.
This year, 11,072 English language learners are enrolled in Newark Public Schools, 822 more than last year. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the district’s number of students learning English has grown, a trend on par with schools across the country.
District leaders anticipated the increases and this year are launching a new bilingual program at Malcolm X Shabazz High School. As of late August, the district planned to enroll 48 students in both ninth and 10th grade but has enrolled 92 ninth graders and 35 10th graders, according to León. Four teachers will teach bilingual education at the high school, the district previously said.
Additionally, the district expects more than 7,000 students with disabilities – who require specialized services such as speech therapists and classroom aides – to return to schools, pointing to a growing need for more teachers and services.
A spike in autism cases in New Jersey, largely due to autism going under-detected in the past among children with average or above-average intellect, is resulting in more students with disabilities in district schools.
More teachers as district enrollment grows
Every year, the district faces challenges in recruiting teachers, specifically in science, math, and bilingual education. Over the summer, the district hired at least 14 new special education teachers, 10 new bilingual education teachers, and three educators teaching English as a second language.
During August’s school board meeting, board member Allison James-Frison said the district hired 402 teachers who attended an orientation at Science Park High School nearly two weeks before the start of school. The district also reported that there were 197 instructional vacancies, during the August meeting. For this upcoming school year, the district created 338 new positions, the district reported.
Transportation needs continue this school year
Under New Jersey law, the district is required to provide transportation to and from school for elementary school students who live more than two miles from their public school or high school students who live more than two and a half miles from their school.
This year, the district’s high school bus pass program will continue, and eligible students will receive a monthly pass. The program, piloted in January 2023, provides students in high school with monthly bus passes instead of daily tickets that can be used for transportation to and from school, as well as outside of school. Elementary students eligible for a bus ticket can apply for one.
Application packets for bus tickets and monthly passes will be available to students on the first day of school, according to the district.
Students with disabilities must also be provided with transportation under their Individualized Education Program. Beginning Aug. 26, student transportation information will be available to parents of students with disabilities if they were enrolled in the district before Aug. 26, according to the office of Special Education. Transportation applications approved by the district and received after Aug. 26 will be processed as received, but busing may not be assigned until the week of Sept, 3, according to the office.
District continues to push upgrades in old school buildings
District officials are also looking to upgrade Newark’s school buildings, some of the oldest in the state.
Historically, Newark students begin school as summer winds down but some years, they struggled to learn in hot schools amid heat waves as they returned to classes. Over the summer, the district ordered 1,300 air conditioners for classrooms and as of late August, has installed just under 900 across schools. The district expects to continue installing air conditioners through the first day of school.
The district continues to install contactless water fountains in schools, a $5 million project funded through COVID relief dollars that began in 2022. During August’s school board meeting, the district reported that 79 contactless water fountains out of 843 remained to be installed
Additionally, León plans to host a series of community meetings this school year after state leaders promised to replace 13 of Newark’s oldest school buildings built before the 1920s. León wants community input to prioritize school construction projects and allow residents to weigh in on a bond referendum to fund those projects. As of late August, district leaders have not said if voters would be asked to vote on a referendum in April’s school board election.
Under New Jersey law, a ballot question is required for any school district to issue new bonds for construction projects to improve existing facilities or to build new facilities.
Jessie Gómez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at jgomez@chalkbeat.org.
