Newark Board Writes Three New Schools Into Facilities Plan, Faces Equity Pushback
Newark Board of Education • Newark Public SchoolsMay 21, 2026
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Newark's newly reorganized school board on May 21, 2026, approved a state-required amendment adding Media High School, Riverfront Elementary and St. Lucy's autism classrooms to its Long-Range Facilities Plan. The step came inside a unanimous finance vote, after a heat wave pushed questions about aging buildings and a public commenter set a $533 million school against unmet tutoring needs. The administration also presented national data showing top-decile learning growth, and a board member pressed on proficiency scores that remain near the bottom.
- Facilities plan amendment adds three school sites within a 9-0 finance slate; the leases themselves will come back for separate votes.
- Newark ranks 601st of 8,147 districts for learning growth, but a board member cited 5th-percentile math and 9th-percentile reading proficiency.
- Chronic absenteeism falls to 9.5% year-to-date, down from 11.5% at the same point last year.
- Parents allege unresponsive administrators at Harriet Tubman, Eastside and Eagle Academy; one organizer promises about 50 supporters next meeting.
- Members question three vendor payments before approval; two remained unexplained at the vote.
Three New School Sites Enter the Plan
Why it matters: The district cannot get state codes for new schools unless they appear in its Long-Range Facilities Plan (LRFP), the state-reviewed blueprint for school buildings. This vote positions three new sites. Families in older buildings are asking about heat and air conditioning at the same time.
The basics: SBA Wilson said a major LRFP amendment originally planned for 2028 is now required. "The state has new requirements which, when you are adding schools or asking for a code for schools, you have to have it in your long-range facilities plan," said Wilson. The amendment (item 13.56) covers Media High School, Riverfront Elementary and leased St. Lucy's autism classrooms.
Where things stand: Board Member Mark Comesañas asked what the board was actually approving. "This is putting those schools in the plan, but the vote is not approving those schools, am I right?" he asked. Wilson confirmed that the board "would then in fact vote on the actual lease when it comes negotiated and due, should we move forward."
Item 13.57 renews the Newark School of Data Science and Information Technology lease for five years. "Those are the longest leases we can do without going to the Commissioner of Education," said Wilson, who estimated the locked-in increase at "about a 3%."
The heat question: Earlier in the meeting, Board Member David I. Daughety cited the recent heat wave and asked about priorities: "Is it updating and maintaining our current buildings or is it opening up the newer ones?" Superintendent Roger Leon said the state promised Newark 40 new school buildings. "This administration has spent over $400 million in capital improvements," he said. He added that many buildings need electrical upgrades before air conditioning can be installed. In the meantime, principals use heat protocols such as relaxing the dress code.
The other side: Public commenter Lisa Gray said the district identified roughly 16,000 students for tutoring, allocated $14 million and served fewer than 2,000, in part because each tutor was capped at three students. She set that against what she described as a proposed $533 million to build and rent a school for 650 students. "So that's $533 million for 4% of the student body compared to $14 million for 40%, that's not equity, folks," said Gray. She urged new Board Member Quamid Childs to take the issue up through his community engagement and equity committee roles. The figures are hers, and no board or staff response on tutoring was recorded. Public commenter Lyndon Brown separately called for air conditioners in schools that lack them.
Decisions and stakeholder impacts: The finance slate passed 9-0 by roll call, moved by Co-Vice President Helena Vinhas and seconded by Board Member Kanileah Anderson. Vinhas abstained only on item 13.12, citing personal pertinence. The vote helps families who need autism classroom space and Riverfront-area capacity. It does not lock in spending; each lease still needs its own vote.
What's next: Watch for the Riverfront lease and any related costs when they return to the board.
Growth Up, Proficiency Still Low
Why it matters: The administration's strategy rests on the growth data. The proficiency gap will shape the curriculum review that starts this fall.
Where things stand: District staff member Ms. Jackson presented the Education Scorecard from Harvard's Center for Education Policy Research and Stanford's Educational Opportunity Project. Newark students gained an average of 1.2 grade levels per year in reading and math from 2022 to 2025. That compares with 1.0 nationally, 1.04 statewide and 0.88 for similar New Jersey districts. "We were number 601 out of 8,147 districts with available data in both reading and math," said Jackson, which puts Newark in the 93rd percentile.
Jackson also relayed national findings from the study. The "learning recession" began in 2013, not with COVID. Early recovery is linked to science-of-reading curricula. Chronic absenteeism costs students one to two weeks of learning per year.
The other side: Daughety praised the growth but noted that the same report shows "Newark remains in the 5th percentile for average math performance and 9th percentile for reading." He asked: "What is the administration's plan or school-by-school strategy for translating our growth for what the kids are learning into grade-level proficiency?"
Leon's answer: Leon said the district is "very, very confident in the work that we're doing" and "cognizant that there's a lot of work that needs to occur." He pointed to a curriculum review through the Instruction and Program committee. He also cited a plan, being drafted by Assistant Superintendent Estevez, for the shift from second to third grade. "We already know that there's a grade 2 to grade 3 transition that needs to occur that is evident in a lot of the work," said Leon. Teacher training and a focus on current third graders begin in September.
What's next: Principals will receive a more detailed analysis in August.
Absenteeism Drops, With a Caveat
Where things stand: "In April 2025, our year-to-date chronic absenteeism was 11.5%, and we are now at 9.5%," said Jackson. Average daily attendance in April was 94.6%. The share of students who were rarely absent fell to 57.4%, down 17.4 points from the prior month. Ivy Hill led all schools, and Eagle Academy led high schools for the first time at 75.6%.
When Daughety asked whether the district would beat last year's rate, Leon said 9.5% is "way below our 10.4 of last year." That is a different baseline than Jackson's 11.5% same-month figure.
Comesañas said some schools are "knocking it out of the park" and asked what is working. Leon said "there isn't a recipe on how to address it" and that individual students define the work. He described strategies shared at superintendent's conferences and a buddy system for new arrivals.
The other side: Eagle Academy parent Vanessa McClaskey said her son has 138 class absences at the top-ranked high school for attendance. That raises questions about follow-through at the school level.
Parents Raise Leadership and Equity Complaints
Why it matters: Several speakers described administrators who do not respond to families. One organizer is promising a larger turnout at the next meeting.
Where things stand: Vaness Roper, a pastor and organizer with the Newark Parent and Community Council, asked why Harriet Tubman's principal teaches classes while running the school, and where the school's budget goes. "Why does it seem like the Spanish principals can do what they want to do and y'all seem to be hanging the African American principals?" he asked. He called Eastside High's administration "racist, misogynist." Leon said the district would follow up and that the assistant superintendent in question is African American.
McClaskey described an unresolved disciplinary case involving her son, along with concerns about his 504 plan, a federal disability accommodation plan. "I have not received formal written documentation outlining what occurred, his current disciplinary status, or the next steps in the process," she said. "I'm drowning and my case is very, very serious." Board President Hasani K. Council asked her to stay after the meeting.
Brown said no Newark guidance counselor attended the state counselors' conference in Atlantic City, which he said cost $350 per counselor. He warned that the district risks "undermatching," steering high-achieving students to less selective colleges. He also asked the district to end the practice of holding all graduations on June 23.
The other side: Public commenter Lucius Jones praised an assistant superintendent's responsiveness. "5 years in the South and the West, I have not had one complaint," he said. He described principals' complaints as a sign of accountability. None of the allegations were resolved at the meeting.
What's next: "My people will be here next meeting, and there'll be about 50 of us," said Roper.
Vendor Questions Linger After Approval
Where things stand: Anderson said her committee had questions about three payees in the operating checks (item 13.7): "One was Be the Changemakers, one was Cherry Road, and the other was Kids Clan Services." Wilson said the request arrived that morning. He explained that Cherry Road Technologies supports enterprise systems, including PeopleSoft. The other two vendors were still being researched.
Daughety asked about item 13.14: "Why is this under finance instead of legal?" Wilson said it is "the result of a contractual dispute over installation of cameras and cabling for the district," and that it pays the vendor against an existing purchase order.
Decisions and stakeholder impacts: The slate passed 9-0 before answers on two vendors were delivered. Follow-up information remains pending.
- Legal slate passes 8-0-1: Daughety abstained after asking about the legal ad hoc committee; Council said "we pushed it into governance."
- June observances adopted 9-0: Juneteenth, Caribbean American Heritage, Pride and Men's Health Awareness Month.
- Personnel and instruction slates pass 9-0 without discussion; March minutes approved by voice vote, with a budget-language correction pledged.
- Eastside High reaccredited by Middle States through Jan. 1, 2033, completing accreditation of all six comprehensive high schools.
- Summer programs run July 6–Aug. 7 with no remediation; returning students face a September test on assigned reading.
Looking ahead: A community conversation on year six of the strategic plan is set for May 26 at Central High School. The board's next regular meeting is June 18 at 6 p.m. at 765 Broad Street.