New Horizons Community Charter School

New Horizons Community Charter School is the sole elementary school serving grades K-8 in the New Horizons Community Charter School District in Newark, New Jersey. With a total enrollment of 381 students, the school faces significant challenges, performing well below state averages on academic measures and serving a predominantly economically disadvantaged student population.

Academically, New Horizons Community Charter School struggles, with proficiency rates on state assessments that are substantially lower than the state average across all grade levels. For example, in 3rd grade English Language Arts, the school's proficiency rate is just 18.2% compared to the state average of 42%. The school also has an alarmingly high chronic absenteeism rate of 41.6%, well above the state average. These academic and attendance challenges are likely exacerbated by the fact that 93.7% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating high levels of economic disadvantage in the school community.

Despite the school's challenges, its per-student spending of $12,066 is slightly higher than the state average, and its student-teacher ratio of 15.2 is slightly lower. However, these inputs have not translated into strong academic outcomes, raising questions about the effectiveness of the charter school model in this particular context. Addressing the root causes of the school's underperformance, such as chronic absenteeism and socioeconomic factors, will be crucial to improving the educational experience and outcomes for the students of New Horizons Community Charter School.