Hua Mei Charter Makes First Cut in Approval Process

The proposed Hua Mei Charter School in Maplewood, which will also serve South Orange and West Orange, has overcome the first hurdle in the latest application process for state approval, according to NJ Spotlight.

Hua Mei is one of 17 proposed charter schools in New Jersey that are still in the running, according to Gov. Christie's administration. Some 25 applications have been eliminated, at least for now.

In September, only four of 55 applications were approved as the state charter school office adopted a more rigorous review to determine the strengths of the proposed programs. Hua Mei, as well as a school proposed in Livingston, which would have drawn from Millburn and South Orange-Maplewood and other nearby districts, at that time.

And so Hua Mei organizers regrouped and . This time, they removed Millburn and Livingston as districts they would serve so residents and district officials have no say. However, if Hua Mei becomes a charter school and does not meet its quota of students, it can still reach out to students elsewhere, including Millburn and Livingston.

In West Orange, Superintendent Dr. Anthony Cavanna, taking a cue from Millburn and Livingston, is gearing up to fight the application.

He said the state had advised the founders of Hua Mei to remove Livingston and Millburn from their application. "Out of all the geographical locations, those parents were the " he said.

New Jersey currently has 80 charter schools in operation, serving close to 30,000 students. Another 25 are slated to open next fall. Four of those were approved by the state in the last round of applications.

Carlos Perez, the President and CEO of the New Jersey Charter Schools Association, said that when the state denies an application, the schools often receive feedback on why it was not approved.

"Using that information, the school should decide whether it’s worth reapplying or if there are issues they feel they can work on to improve their operation,” Perez said. “If a school is just submitting the same proposal and addressing the issues raised by the authorizer, then they need to be denied again."

Being denied the first time often helps the founders of a school, he said.

“We are the point where we have a much better understanding what works and what doesn’t in a charter school," he said. "We cannot afford to have schools open and learning on the job while children are sitting in the classroom and their parents are expecting the best." 

Meanwhile, the state will continue its review of the remaining 17 applications over the next month, requesting additional information and in-person interviews from the schools still under consideration. Final approvals are to be announced January 17.

Besides Hua Mei, also still in the running this time is Quest, which has applied five times, in Montclair.

To read a letter sent to Cerf by South Orange-Maplewood School District Superintendent Dr. Brian Osborne, read here.

To read a letter sent to Cerf by West Orange School District Superintendent Dr. Anthony P. Cavanna, read .

Millburn-Short Hills Editor Laura Griffin contributed to this report.