Is Link Community Charter School a good school?

Link Community Charter School ranks 420 th of 748 New Jersey middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Link Community Charter School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 339 students attended Link Community Charter School.

What is the racial makeup of Link Community Charter School?

Students at Link Community Charter School are 92% African American, 8% Hispanic.

Link Community Charter School

Summary:

Link Community Charter School is a public charter middle school located in Newark, New Jersey, serving grades K-8 with a total enrollment of 339 students, the majority of whom are African American.

The school demonstrates several strengths, including strong academic performance in English Language Arts (ELA), where it outperforms the state average across all grade levels. For example, in 2022-2023, 66.7% of 7th graders at Link Community Charter School scored proficient or better in ELA, significantly higher than the rates at nearby schools like Patrick F. Healy Middle School (31.9%) and Walter O. Krumbiegel Middle School (24.7%). The school's African American students also consistently outperform their peers at other East Orange School District and Hillside Public School District schools, ranking in the top quartile of New Jersey middle schools in both ELA and Mathematics.

However, the school faces some challenges, such as lagging Mathematics proficiency, with only 20.5% of 8th graders scoring proficient or better in 2022-2023. Additionally, the school's special education students struggle, ranking in the bottom quartile of New Jersey middle schools, and the school has seen fluctuations in its chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 0.0% in 2020-2021 to 15.7% in 2021-2022. By addressing these areas of concern, Link Community Charter School can continue to build on its strengths and provide a high-quality education for its diverse student body.

Detail:

Public, Charter K-8

23 Pennsyvania Ave
Newark, NJ 07114

(973) 642-0529

District: Link Community Charter School

SchoolDigger Rank:
420^th of 748 New Jersey Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,874

Student/teacher ratio: 16.9

Number of students: 339

Racial breakdown:

African American:

91.7%

Hispanic:

7.7%

Asian:

0.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 69.3%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Link Community Charter School ranks worse than 67.6% of elementary schools in New Jersey. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 32.69. (See more...)

Compare Details Link Community Charter School ranks worse than 56.1% of middle schools in New Jersey. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 40.58. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (91.7%), Hispanic (7.7%), Asian (0.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 69.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Link Community Charter School is 16.9. (See more...)

Compare Link Community Charter School employs 20 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Link Community Charter School is $12,874.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Link Community Charter School:

SchoolDigger ranks Link Community Charter School 907^th of 1342 New Jersey public elementary schools. (See Link Community Charter School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

SchoolDigger ranks Link Community Charter School 420^th of 748 New Jersey public middle schools. (See Link Community Charter School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Link Community Charter School:

SchoolDigger ranks Link Community Charter School 445^th of 615 New Jersey school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Link Community Charter School

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Rank History for all elementary school students at Link Community Charter School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NJ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	32.69	907^th	1342	32.4%

See the entire list of New Jersey Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Special Education students at Link Community Charter School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NJ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	24.94	695^th	958	27.5%

See the entire list of Best New Jersey Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at Link Community Charter School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NJ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	46.12	444^th	910	51.2%

See the entire list of Best New Jersey Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Link Community Charter School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NJ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	33.44	866^th	1318	34.3%

See the entire list of Best New Jersey Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Link Community Charter School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NJ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	34.04	849^th	1315	35.4%

See the entire list of Best New Jersey Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for elementary school African American students at Link Community Charter School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NJ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	69.22	111^th	463	76.0%

See the entire list of Best New Jersey Middle Schools for African American Students!

Data source: test scores: New Jersey Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Link Community Charter School

Compare

Rank History for all middle school students at Link Community Charter School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NJ State Percentile
2017	44.40	402^nd	712	43.5%
2018	37.76	462^nd	716	35.5%
2019	47.72	393^rd	745	47.2%
2021	31.37	420^th	652	35.6%
2022	31.35	502^nd	745	32.6%
2023	40.58	420^th	748	43.9%

See the entire list of New Jersey Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Special Education students at Link Community Charter School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NJ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	19.12	505^th	535	5.6%
2023	28.11	375^th	505	25.7%

See the entire list of Best New Jersey Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Link Community Charter School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	63.58	136^th	522	73.9%
2019	76.71	64^th	541	88.2%
2021	56.41	133^rd	467	71.5%
2022	47.20	244^th	549	55.6%
2023	63.06	124^th	568	78.2%

See the entire list of Best New Jersey Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for middle school Female students at Link Community Charter School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	41.49	422^nd	680	37.9%
2019	55.79	327^th	703	53.5%
2021	36.78	372^nd	625	40.5%
2022	34.62	455^th	726	37.3%
2023	44.96	365^th	720	49.3%

See the entire list of Best New Jersey Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at Link Community Charter School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	34.21	459^th	675	32.0%
2019	35.33	461^st	697	33.9%
2021	27.14	428^th	635	32.6%
2022	29.23	506^th	730	30.7%
2023	37.07	430^th	718	40.1%

See the entire list of Best New Jersey Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school African American students at Link Community Charter School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NJ State Percentile
2018	71.08	63^rd	326	80.7%
2019	82.53	35^th	326	89.3%
2021	58.56	70^th	291	75.9%
2022	57.20	110^th	356	69.1%
2023	66.29	78^th	361	78.4%

See the entire list of Best New Jersey Middle Schools for African American Students!

Data source: test scores: New Jersey Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: New Jersey Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Link Community Charter School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2015	1	202	1	11	0	0	215
2017	0	268	1	14	2	1	286
2018	0	275	0	10	0	2	287
2019	0	284	0	11	0	0	295
2020	0	283	2	18	0	3	306
2021	0	234	0	18	0	2	254
2022	0	291	0	27	0	2	320
2023	0	311	1	26	0	1	339

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Link Community Charter School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2015	215	18.0	11.9	n/a
2017	286	n/a	n/a	82.2
2018	287	30.5	9.4	82.9
2019	295	27.0	10.9	78.3
2020	306	26.0	11.7	77.5
2021	254	26.0	9.7	81.9
2022	320	32.0	10.0	75.9
2023	339	20.0	16.9	69.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Link Community Charter School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2015	215	18.0	11.9	n/a
2017	286	n/a	n/a	82.2
2018	287	30.5	9.4	82.9
2019	295	27.0	10.9	78.3
2020	306	26.0	11.7	77.5
2021	254	26.0	9.7	81.9
2022	320	32.0	10.0	75.9
2023	339	20.0	16.9	69.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Link Community Charter School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$943 (7.3%)	$11,931 (92.7%)	$12,874

Data source: New Jersey Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Link Community Charter School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 393^rd of 745 Middle schools	Ranks 420^th of 748 Middle schools	3.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
5th Grade English Language Arts (Link Community Charter School)	58.5	64.6	6.1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Link Community Charter School)	58.5	64.6	6.1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (New Jersey)	57.9	53.2	4.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Link Community Charter School)	34.6	20.9	13.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Link Community Charter School)	34.6	20.9	13.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (New Jersey)	46.8	40.1	6.7%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Link Community Charter School)	55.4	32.7	22.7%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Link Community Charter School)	55.4	32.7	22.7%
6th Grade English Language Arts (New Jersey)	56.1	49	7.1%
6th Grade Mathematics (Link Community Charter School)	23	7.5	15.5%
6th Grade Mathematics (Link Community Charter School)	23	7.5	15.5%
6th Grade Mathematics (New Jersey)	40.6	34.3	6.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Link Community Charter School)	68.1	66.7	1.4%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Link Community Charter School)	68.1	66.7	1.4%
7th Grade English Language Arts (New Jersey)	62.8	55.7	7.1%
7th Grade Mathematics (Link Community Charter School)	34.7	13.1	21.6%
7th Grade Mathematics (Link Community Charter School)	34.7	13.1	21.6%
7th Grade Mathematics (New Jersey)	42.1	33.8	8.3%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Link Community Charter School)	66.6	55.1	11.5%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Link Community Charter School)	66.6	55.1	11.5%
8th Grade English Language Arts (New Jersey)	62.9	55.3	7.6%
8th Grade Mathematics (Link Community Charter School)	29.2	20.5	8.7%
8th Grade Mathematics (Link Community Charter School)	29.2	20.5	8.7%
8th Grade Mathematics (New Jersey)	29.3	17.8	11.5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	295	339	14.9%
African American	284	311	9.5%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	0	1
Hispanic	11	26	136.4%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	0	0
Two or More Races	0	1
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	78.3%	69.3%	9%

Schools Near Link Community Charter School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				NJSLA-S Science (2023)		NJSLA English Language Arts (2023)					NJSLA Mathematics (2023)					NJSLA Algebra I (2023)		NJSLA Geometry (2023)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	SchoolDigger Rating (2023)	Average Standard Score (2022)	Statewide Rank (2022)	State Percentile (2022)	Rank Change from Previous Year	NJSLA-S Science 5th Grade	NJSLA-S Science 8th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 4th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 5th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 6th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 7th Grade	NJSLA English Language Arts 8th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 4th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 5th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 6th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 7th Grade	NJSLA Mathematics 8th Grade	NJSLA Algebra I 8th Grade	NJSLA Algebra I End of Course	NJSLA Geometry 8th Grade	NJSLA Geometry End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Link Community Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	23 Pennsyvania Ave	Newark	07114	Essex County	Link Community Charter School	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 642-0529	339	20	16.9	69.3%	0 (0.0%)	311 (91.7%)	26 (7.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	40.6	420^th of 748 public middle schools	43.9%		31.4	502^nd of 745 public middle schools	32.6%	82	21.2	11.6		64.6	32.7	66.7	55.1		20.9	7.5	13.1	20.5					$12,874	$943	$11,931
Discovery Charter School	Public, Charter	4-8	240 Halsey St	Newark	07102	Essex County	Discovery Charter School	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 623-0222	105	6	19.0	67.6%	1 (1.0%)	96 (91.4%)	6 (5.7%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	61.8	257^th of 748 public middle schools	65.6%		45.8	379^th of 745 public middle schools	49.1%	122	9.1	20.9	53.4	59.1	50.0	66.6	79.1	26.7	13.6	25.0	14.3	41.7					$11,745	$906	$10,839
Washington Middle School	Public	6-8	One North Fifth Street	Harrison	07029	Hudson County	Harrison Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 483-2285	494	37	13.4	81.0%	48 (9.7%)	16 (3.2%)	394 (79.8%)	34 (6.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	36.1	456^th of 748 public middle schools	39.0%		42	412^th of 745 public middle schools	44.7%	44		10.7			41.5	43.4	58.5			24.2	20.3	7.9	57.2	57.2			$14,511	$607	$13,904
University Middle School	Public	6-8	255 Myrtle Ave	Irvington	07111	Essex County	Irvington Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 399-6879	720	51	14.1	45.7%	0 (0.0%)	512 (71.1%)	199 (27.6%)	4 (0.6%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	12.8	682^nd of 748 public middle schools	8.8%		11.9	691^st of 745 public middle schools	7.2%	9		1.6			24.1	18.8	25.7			7.4	4.9	5.2	53.8	53.8			$9,378	$185	$9,193
Walter O. Krumbiegel Middle School	Public	7-8	145 Hillside Ave	Hillside	07205	Union County	Hillside Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(908) 352-7664	376	43	8.7	60.1%	27 (7.2%)	220 (58.5%)	125 (33.2%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	14	664^th of 748 public middle schools	11.2%		24.7	558^th of 745 public middle schools	25.1%	106		1.0				24.7	27.4				6.2	7.4					$8,834		$8,834
Pride Academy Charter School	Public, Charter	5-8	117 Elmwood Ave	East Orange	07018	Essex County	Pride Academy Charter School District	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 672-3200	299	23	13.0	78.3%	0 (0.0%)	283 (94.6%)	14 (4.7%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	51.3	335^th of 748 public middle schools	55.2%		45.5	380^th of 745 public middle schools	49.0%	45	16.5	9.5		52.0	34.6	68.0	64.9		35.6	29.3	38.7	16.7	80.0	80.0			$7,531	$934	$6,597
Union Avenue Middle School	Public	6-8	427 Union Ave	Irvington	07111	Essex County	Irvington Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 399-6885	730	53	13.7	57.1%	1 (0.1%)	510 (69.9%)	213 (29.2%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	15.3	647^th of 748 public middle schools	13.5%		12.8	676^th of 745 public middle schools	9.3%	29		2.4			21.8	33.4	29.5			11.0	10.4	2.7	37.9	37.9			$9,597	$204	$9,393
Hillside Innovation Academy	Public	7-8	195 Virginia St-1100 Woodruff	Hillside	07205	Union County	Hillside Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(908) 352-7664	99			60.6%	12 (12.1%)	55 (55.6%)	30 (30.3%)	2 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	69.1	198^th of 748 public middle schools	73.5%					(n/a)		28.5				66.0	75.5				30.0	35.9			50.0	50.0
Patrick F. Healy Middle School	Public	6-8	116 Hamilton St	East Orange	07017	Essex County	East Orange School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 266-5670	330	26	12.9	61.8%	3 (0.9%)	276 (83.6%)	47 (14.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.2%)	17.3	625^th of 748 public middle schools	16.4%		9.8	718^th of 745 public middle schools	3.6%	93		2.1				31.9	27.3				4.2	11.3					$11,816	$431	$11,385
Sojourner Truth Middle School	Public	6-8	116 Hamilton St	East Orange	07017	Essex County	East Orange School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(973) 266-5665	278	22	12.8	60.4%	0 (0.0%)	215 (77.3%)	59 (21.2%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.7%)								(n/a)					12.7					2.4							$12,234	$381	$11,853

Link Community Charter School

Link Community Charter School:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Link Community Charter School:

What do you think?

Rank History for Link Community Charter School

Rank History for all elementary school students at Link Community Charter School

Rank History for elementary school Special Education students at Link Community Charter School

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at Link Community Charter School

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Link Community Charter School

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Link Community Charter School

Rank History for elementary school African American students at Link Community Charter School

Rank History for Link Community Charter School

Rank History for all middle school students at Link Community Charter School

Rank History for middle school Special Education students at Link Community Charter School

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Link Community Charter School

Rank History for middle school Female students at Link Community Charter School

Rank History for middle school Male students at Link Community Charter School

Rank History for middle school African American students at Link Community Charter School

Enrollment information for Link Community Charter School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Link Community Charter School

Student/Teacher Ratio Link Community Charter School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Link Community Charter School

Impact of COVID-19 on Link Community Charter School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Link Community Charter School

Frequently Asked Questions about Link Community Charter School

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