NEWARK—The Newark Board of Education plans to open Riverfront Elementary School in the overcrowded East Ward. Board President Hasani Council announced the proposal at the February board meeting. A public hearing is scheduled for March 25 at 5 p.m. at Lafayette Street School.

The school would occupy the St. Aloysius Roman Catholic Church building at 66 Fleming Avenue in the Ironbound. Council did not specify whether the district would lease or purchase the property. District officials have not released building capacity figures or cost estimates.

"It is time," Council told Chalkbeat Newark. "They are severely overcrowded in the East Ward so this will help alleviate a lot of the burden of overcrowding there."

Overcrowding and Constraints

The East Ward houses eight elementary schools and two high schools. More than half operate in original buildings constructed in the 1800s. New housing developments have consumed available land.

Newark's enrollment peaked at 48,000 students in 2000. Numbers dropped to 32,000 by 2015 before rebounding to approximately 40,000. The East Ward's population has grown steadily. Census data shows the Ironbound as one of Newark's densest neighborhoods, and it has seen significant residential development..

Newark Public Schools cannot construct new schools using district funds. State law assigns school construction authority to the New Jersey Schools Development Authority. Districts in SDA jurisdictions may lease property for educational use.

Newark exercised this option in 2023, when the district signed a 30-year lease for the Newark School of Architecture and Interior Design. That facility opened in a former bank building on Broad Street.

Superintendent Roger Leon has stated Newark needs more than $2 billion to repair and update all district schools. The SDA promised to build a new high school in the South Ward and rebuild 13 of the district's oldest buildings.

Next Steps

The March 25 hearing will allow residents to offer input.

If approved, Riverfront Elementary would represent the district's first new East Ward elementary facility since 2019, when the district opened East Ward Elementary on South Street. That school currently serves roughly 700 students in grades Pre-K through 7.

The SDA's capital plan runs through 2028. Newark has 13 schools on the reconstruction list. None are in the East Ward.

Council represents the Central Ward on the nine-member board. His term expires in 2026.

Budget and Community Impact

The district faces a projected $140 million budget gap in the coming fiscal year. Lease payments would add to operating obligations. The architecture school lease includes a 2.5 percent annual escalator tied to inflation.

St. Aloysius occupies a multi-story structure with adjacent parking. The parish website lists weekly Mass schedules. Any lease would require coordination with existing programs.

Riverfront Elementary represents a workaround to state construction constraints. Rather than wait for SDA funds the district is pursuing immediate capacity through leasing. This approach carries financial risks. Long-term obligations constrain future flexibility.

Parents and community members may attend the March 25 hearing. The board's decision will determine whether the East Ward receives additional school seats.

Sources:
• Chalkbeat Newark
• TAPinto Newark
• Insider NJ
• Newark Public Schools
• New Jersey Schools Development Authority reports
• WHYY