Princeton Charter School

Princeton Charter School is a charter school in Princeton Township, in Mercer County, New Jersey, serving students in kindergarten through eighth grade.

The school is the only public school in either Princeton Township, New Jersey or the Borough of Princeton, New Jersey which is not operated by the Princeton Regional Schools district.

The school is one of over fifty schools opened under charters granted since 1997 by the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Education. These schools operate independently of local Boards of Education, being funded on a per student basis by locally-raised tax revenues. It is accredited by the American Academy for Liberal Education.

During the 2004-05 school year, Princeton Charter School was awarded the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education, the highest award an American school can receive. [ [http://www.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/list-2003.pdf U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 2003 through 2005 (PDF)] , accessed June 5, 2006.]

Admission is determined by lottery (except where a sibling is previously enrolled) open to all students from the district. The current headmaster since the school opened, Charles Marsee, is retiring after the 2007-08 school year. The new principal for 2008-09 will be Broderick L. Boxley, from Joyce Kilmer Elementary School in Cherry Hill.

Overview highlights

Students are separated into two buildings. Grades K-4 are in the lower and newer building, while grades 5-8 are in the upper building. Every year, the fifth and sixth graders go on an overnight trip to Fairview Lakes in northern New Jersey in the spring. The seventh and eighth graders go on an overnight trip to Camp Mason in northern New Jersey during the fall. The eighth graders also go on a longer overnight trip to Washington D.C towards the end of the school year.

Curriculum Highlights

Academics is very important to the school. Every year they take 2 standardized tests, the NJ ASK and the ERBs. For the 2007-2008 year their 8th grade was ranked 1st in the state for science.

Athletics

Fall athletics include soccer, field hockey, and cross country. Winter sports include basketball, and spring sports include lacrosse. The school colors are red and black, and the school mascot is a hawk.

References

External links

* [http://www.princetoncharter.org/ Princeton Charter School Main Website] or
* [http://www.pcs.k12.nj.us/ Princeton Charter School Alternative Website]
* [http://www.nj.gov/njded/chartsch/annrep/7450princeton.pdf 2003-04 School Report for Princeton Charter School]
*NJReportCard|80|7540|930|Princeton Charter School
* [http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_list.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=3400043 National Center for Education Statistics data for Princeton Charter School. 2004-2005 enrollment was 280 students, from Kindergarten through Grade Eight. Demographic breakdown was 190 white (67.8%), 51 Asian (18%), 24 Black (8%) and 15 Hispanic (5%).]