New Horizons Community Charter School

The 2001-2002 school year marked the third full year of operation for the New Horizons Community Charter School. The public charter school is responsible for the education of 500 children in the Kindergarten through fifth grade, and has been operating in its permanent home on Hayes Street in the Central Ward since the beginning of the 2000 school year.

New Horizons is a refreshing and effective alternative to traditional public education in Newark. Students are taught using a structured and compelling core curriculum that has produced major gains in student achievement and testing.

New Horizons features smaller class sizes than the Newark public school system, longer school days and a longer school year. Discipline is a hallmark of the New Horizons’ educational environment and all students wear uniforms and adhere to a code of conduct that ensures a productive learning environment while rewarding students for achievement and positive behavior.

This fresh approach to urban education is showing dividends. Reading test scores for the youngest students at New Horizons have shown dramatic gains, with most students reading a year ahead of their peers. Some first-grade students have reached third-grade reading levels. The New Horizons curriculum features a program known as “accelerated reading” that involves learning sounds and words and, finally, learning to read stories.

New Horizons is housed in a $6.3 million facility developed by New Community that opened in September 2000. The school includes 19 classrooms, a computer lab, library, health office and dining hall.

For more information, please contact Leonard Fitts: (973) 848-0400 or send an email to lfitts@nhccschool.org