By Walter Elliott
NEWARK – The Newark Public Schools have bought back one of the 13 properties whose deeds it had conveyed to the Newark Housing Authority in 2016.
Another one or two former NPS school buildings may be brought back into its orbit, but time may be running out on them. Most of the rest have been sold, demolished or slated to demolition.
NPS Superintendent of Schools Roger Leon, last April, had expressed a desire to bring back some of the former school buildings his predecessor, Christopher Cerf, had written off five years ago. Leon, at that time, may have been looking for space for some of the new magnet high and grade schools his administration has opened since 2019 or are about to open in 2021-22.
The then-NPS School Advisory Board, on a 6-2-1 vote Feb. 22, 2016 approved State District Superintendent Cerf’s plan to convey deeds to 12 of its buildings to the NHA. The housing authority was to have sold those buildings to third party redevelopers. NPS would get a percentage of the sales and retained the right to reclaim some of the buildings.
The “NPS 12” were deemed by Cerf’s administrators as “unutilized and having no forecasted use.” Some of those buildings were deemed as in the poorest of condition or too small compared to N.J. Department of Education instructional space minimums. Several became NPS storage facilities long after their school days were long gone.
Those 12 were being cast off as part of plugging a projected $50 million 2016-17 budget deficit. The deficit needed filling for the around $750 million operating budget despite the state increasing its aid at that time by $27.5 million.
“The district spends $2 to $4 million in keeping them insured, maintained and their lights on,” said Cerf. “That, for example, is 20 to 40 teachers (salaries). Saving a $1 million here and $1 million there starts to add up.”
Transferring the 12 buildings was looked upon by some as the second wave of school consolidations, closures and/or leasing or sales to charter schools in five years. Cerf predecessor Cami Anderson had so moved, combined and/or parted out a third of NPS school buildings as part of her 2012 “One Newark” plan.
The 2016 transfer came before NPS regained autonomy from the NJDOE. Cerf became the last NPS State District Superintendent, eventually succeeded by Leon in 2018.
The following may be called “The NPS Class of 2016″ – Where Are They Now?” even though it sounds a bit odd regarding something as immovable as school buildings:
BANNEKER SCIENCE CENTER, 452-460 Lyons Ave. DEMOLISHED.
This 1966 building started out with a focus on science classes. It was leased to Great Oaks Legacy Charter Schools until it moved to the Madison Street School, 826 So. 16th St., in 2018.
Named after Washington, D.C. co-planner Benjamin Banneker, the building was rezoned for commercial use and sold. It was replaced in 2020 by an Auto Mart of NJ car dealership.
WILLIAM H. BROWN ACADEMY OF THE ARTS/BERGEN STREET SCHOOL, 695-715 Bergen St. DEMOLISH PENDING.
Bergen Street School was an elementary school from 1900 until it became a fine and performing arts magnet school in 1991. The building was deteriorating before Brown’s sixth and seventh grades were sent to Belmont-Runyon and its ninth grade to Arts High School in 2009. A March 20-21, 2017 fire rendered Bergen/Brown uninhabitable.
The building is on a 1.38-acre site still owned by NHA – until the City of Newark gets approval to build its own police academy.
BURNET STREET SCHOOL 26-30 Burnet St., SOLD.
Burnet was an NPS school 1869-2013. NPS the leased it to the Paulo Freire Charter School before it lost its state charter in 2016.
The Marion P. Thomas Charter School has owned the school since 2018, having moved its Kindergarten-Eighth Grade.
Performing Arts & Culinary Academy from 570 Broad St. The school is both within the 20-block James Street Commons Historic District and within the half-mile radius of the Broad Street Station Transit Village Redevelopment District.
(Note: MPTCS administration brought in BRICK Academy to manage its schools in 2019.)
CLINTON AVENUE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, 534 Clinton Ave. SOLD.
Was NPS school 1989-2012; was an Early Childhood Center in 2012. Building was bought by Friends of MPTCS. It is now the BRICK-managed Achieve Clinton Hill Community CS.
DAYTON STREET SCHOOL, 226 Dayton St. ON THE MARKET.
The 1949 building was closed in 2012. Vacant building is adjacent to also closed Seth Boyden Apartments. School and Boyden are within the proposed South Ward PATH station transit village redevelopment zone.
MAPLE AVENUE SCHOOL, 33-47 Maple Ave. UNDER CONVERSION.
Was NPS school 1924-2015. NHA sold the building to the Hanini Group for $1.2 million in 2018. Hanini’s 33 Maple LLC is supposedly converting to apartments.
MAPLE AVENUE ANNEX 200 Lyons Ave. DEMOLISHED.
The annex was two conjoined former Young Israel buildings. The 1956 building at 200 Lyons Ave. was a Hebrew school and academy for the synagogue at 191-193 Weequahic Ave.
NPS took possession after the Orthodox congregation moved out (eventually to West Caldwell) in 1968. Both buildings were used for storage after Maple Avenue School’s need for classrooms subsided.
RWJBarnabas Health levelled both buildings in late 2020 as part of its $100 million Newark Beth Israel renovation and expansion.
MILLER STREET SCHOOL 47 Miller St.. SOLD.
1881 core and 1965 addition closed in 2012. Some Miller students then went to Peshine Avenue School, others to Louise A. Spencer School building.
Catholic Charities bought the building from Claremont Properties, of Far Hills, in 2018. It now houses Charities’ School Social Services Department.
MORTON STREET SCHOOL, 75-87 Morton St. BOUGHT BACK BY NPS.
Morton Street, originally Sixth Ward School in 1851 and, later, Joseph E. Hayes School. Gymnasium and auditorium was part of 1908-09 expansion.
Was West Side High School Ninth Grade Success Academy 2007-12 before returning to WSHS. A 2007 NPS facilities assessment deemed building “in worst shape.” Friends of MPTCS had expressed interest in 2017.
ROSEVILLE AVENUE SCHOOL, 70-78 Roseville Ave. SOLD.
The 1883 school building was an early childhood center before closing in 2013. Hanini’s 70 Roseville Ave. LLC bought it in 2017. Facade still sports an Open1Realty “available” banner Jan. 17.
STATE STREET SCHOOL, 15 State St. UNDER CONVERSION.
The 1845-built school added on to in 1882, placed on national and state historic registers 2019.
Elementary school was NPS’ last “Colored School for Children” 1869-73. Principal James Baxter prevailed on the Board of Educate to integrate the school district. Building was NPS Arts Department headquarters in the 1990s, repository for NPS Historic Preservation Committee 2011-18.
Hanini had sold the building to the Newark Boys Chorus in 2019. Chorus is making renovations before leaving 1016 Broad St.
WARREN STREET SCHOOL, 200-214 Warren St. TO BE DEMOLISHED.
The 1892 grade school with 1908 addition perhaps best known.as American History High School opening there in 2007. Deteriorating conditions prompted AHHS’s move to ex-Newark Vocational HS, building condemnation 2010-11. Three-alarm May 1, 2019 fire further damaged building.
NJIT and Claremont Properties in Far Hills, on July 20, 2017, signed a letter of intent to replace the building with “a suitable expansion” of the college’s Enterprise Development Center within the Broad Street Transit Redevelopment Zone.
MARY E. WHEELER-WILLIS EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER. 447 18TH AVE. SOLD.
Head Start center closed in 2014. Sold to Homefood Properties LLC of Houston, Texas in 2018.
CTS Group, of Chatham Twp., drew up plans for a 13-room street-level new Wheeler-Willis center with NPS Early Childhood Department administrative offices above it. It is not immediately known as of press time whether the New Wheeler-Willis will be built at 447 18th Ave. – or elsewhere in Newark.
(Note: 447 18th Avenue is not be confused with the Eighteenth Avenue School 229 18th Ave. was leased to KIPP TEAM Academy, with an option to buy, in 2012)
