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A new elementary school is coming to Newark’s East Ward, and the city school board wants the public’s input.
Newark Public Schools is in the early planning stages of opening the new Riverfront Elementary School in the St. Aloysius Roman Catholic Church building on Fleming Avenue, board president Hasani Council told Chalkbeat on Friday.
Council did not say whether the district would use all or part of the St. Aloysius building, or if it plans to lease or purchase the property. District officials have not yet released details about the building’s capacity, project timeline, or estimated costs.
The school board will host a special hearing on March 25 at 5 p.m. at Lafayette Street School to present its proposal and hear from residents, according to Council, who made the announcement about the hearing at the end of February’s board meeting. Council on Friday said the district needs a new school in the East Ward to relieve overcrowding.
“It is time. They are severely overcrowded in the East Ward, so this will help alleviate a lot of the burden of overcrowding there,” Council added.
The new elementary school would add seats in one of Newark’s fastest growing neighborhoods as migration and changes in enrollment have strained existing schools. An increase in new housing developments in the ward has limited the amount of land available for new school construction.
In New Jersey, the state Schools Development Authority is responsible for building new schools in Newark and 30 other high-poverty districts. The agency receives funding on a ‘pay-as-you-go’ basis, but advocates for healthy student learning environments say consistent annual investments are needed to cover renovations, replacements, and upgrades to buildings in all districts.
Superintendent Roger León has previously said that it would take more than $2 billion to fully fix and update all district schools. The state’s largest district can’t build a new school using its funds, but it can lease property.
Newark’s East Ward neighborhood is a densely populated area home to eight elementary schools and two high schools. More than half of East Ward schools operate in original buildings that date back to the 1800s. The SDA promised Newark to build a new high school in the South Ward and rebuild 13 of its oldest school buildings, but the East Ward could miss out on the promise due to the scarce availability of land.
As León continues to open new schools, the district has also leased properties. This school year, the Newark School of Architecture and Interior Design opened in the former Saint James Hospital building after the district reached a 30-year, $300 million lease with the property owner. The school opened in September after a nearly three-year delay due to state stop-work orders over wage complaints.
In 2024, the district was weighing whether to present a $1.2 billion bond referendum to city voters to cover school repairs. But district leaders squashed that plan after learning that it was unlikely to gain support, according to León.
State leaders are also sounding the alarm about the need to upgrade New Jersey’s oldest school buildings. Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz introduced a bill last month that, if approved, would place a question on the November ballot to authorize $10.5 billion in new state bonds for school construction, expansion, and renovation projects in districts across the state.
During last month’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Ruiz said the last time the state went to bond for school construction funding was during her first budget cycle, roughly 18 years ago.
“That is a disservice to every single student, family and community and district in the state of New Jersey,” Ruiz said.
Last week, the Newark school board approved a $6.3 million state grant for renovations at Technology and Weequahic high schools.
Jessie Gómez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at jgomez@chalkbeat.org.
