The Newark Public School System, which dates back to 1676, is the largest and one of the oldest in New Jersey. In 1995, after years of deficient management and suspected corruption on the part of school administrators, the New Jersey State Department of Education assumed operating control of the district. Working with the state, a 15-member advisory board was set up to help reform the school system and reestablish sound educational policy and practices. Since 1995, the school system has purchased $3.4 million in new textbooks, begun a $4.6 million technology initiative to expand computer capabilities in the schools, and opened a new technical and vocations high school.
At present, Newark Public Schools is undergoing systemwide renovations of its aging facilities, as part of New Jersey School Construction multi-billion dollar effort. Concurrently, the school district has partnered with both Saint Barnabas Healthcare System and the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey to establish health clinics in five more schools in Newark. The district offers other programs supportive of families as a whole, including the Citywide Parents Conference, Concerned Fathers, and the Grandparents Support Network.
Among its special programs the Newark School System offers adult education, bilingual education, special education, and an attendance/dropout prevention program. Its magnet school program includes an Arts High School, a Science High School, and a University High School. A Business Partnership program allows students to work with professionals in business, industry, medicine, and law.
The following is a summary of data regarding the Newark public schools as of the 2004–2005 school year.
Total enrollment: 42,395
Number of facilities elementary schools: 76
junior high schools: 7
high schools: 12
other: 3
Student/teacher ratio: 12.3:1
Teacher salaries
minimum: $40,000
maximum: $85,000
Funding per pupil: $14,826 (2003-2004)
A number of private primary and secondary schools also operate in Newark, many of which are affiliated with a religious institution.
Public Schools Information: Newark Public Schools, 2 Cedar Street, Newark, NJ 07201; telephone (201)733-7333
With five colleges inside the city limits and 44,000 students matriculating, Newark is one of New Jersey's premier centers of education. Perhaps the most prestigious of Newark's colleges is the city branch of Rutgers University (the state university), which offers four-year baccalaureate degrees as well as graduate degrees in law, nursing, business, and public administration to its student body of more than 30,000 men and women. The Rutgers-Newark campus is part of an urban university complex spread over 323 acres in midtown Newark, a complex that also includes a number of other schools.
As a public research institution, the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) is famous for pioneering activities in computer-integrated design and manufacturing, biotechnology, microelectronics, and computerized communications. The NJIT student body of 8,249 can pursue any of 100 undergraduate degree programs or 30 postsecondary degrees while receiving hands-on experience through the university outreach center. Seton Hall's Law School is one of the largest law schools in the country, with ethics grounded in the Catholic principles of the home university. Essex County College offers two-year degrees and certificates in vocational fields, as well as credits that are designed to transfer to four-year universities. The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, the state's largest health education center, enrolls more than 4,500 medical, dental, and health care students and operates a 526-bed acute care teaching hospital.
Newark's public library system includes a main library and 10 branch libraries. With more than 1.4 million books, periodicals, and pictures, the libraries house the most important collection in New Jersey. In addition to local and state historical collections, the library boasts excellent fine arts, business, and current affairs resources along with collections focused on the diverse cultural make-up of the city. The Peter W. Rodino, Jr., Law Library at the Seton Hall School of Law provides access to more than 45,000 law-related books and periodicals, with an emphasis on health and environmental law. Specialized libraries in Newark maintain collections relating to medicine, insurance, education, history, and utilities. The Rutgers Institute of Jazz Studies has compiled an extensive collection of recordings. All of the local universities and colleges maintain well-stocked libraries with subject matter concentrations suited to the degree programs offered.
The metropolitan Newark area is home to more research workers per capita than any other area in the country. The New Jersey Institute of Technology maintains research centers in global areas such as applied life sciences, architectural and building sciences, computer technology and telecommunications, environmental science, materials science and manufacturing, solar physics, and transportation. Specialized facilities include an Air Pollution Research Laboratory; a Building Engineering and Architectural Research Center; a Center for Biomedical Engineering, which focuses on reconstructive devices; and a Center for Information Age Technology, which assists technology transfers between academia and industry. The Institute is also home to an advanced technology center of the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology and the computerized Manufacturing Systems Center.
The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey conducts sponsored research focusing on the health care fields, including clinical trials. Rutgers University conducts research in such varied areas as neuroscience, management, animal behavior, jazz, and finance. Also active in research are the many pharmaceutical companies in the area.
Public Library Information: Newark Public Library, 5 Washington Street, Newark, NJ 07101; telephone (973)733-7800 or (973)733-7784; fax (973)733-5648