2 charter schools say segregation complaint is unfounded

FRANKLIN - In a pair of strongly-worded responses to allegations of segregation, two township-based charter schools charged that the civil rights complaint filed with the federal Departments of Justice and Education on Friday is an attack on all charter...

2 charter schools say segregation complaint is unfounded

FRANKLIN - In a pair of strongly-worded responses to allegations of segregation, two township-based charter schools charged that the civil rights complaint filed with the federal Departments of Justice and Education on Friday is an attack on all charter schools.

The Latino Coalition of New Jersey and Franklin Community Advocates Revitalizing our Education System have asked the federal government to take action against Central Jersey College Prep and the Thomas Edison EnergySmart Schools.

The groups allege that the demographics of the schools do not reflect those of the township.

A third charter school in the township, Ailanthus, has recently been granted conditional approval to begin operation in 2018.

"The accusations against TEECS are part of an effort to harass public charter schools," said Oguz Yildiz, Lead Person at the school said in a news release on Tuesday. "We will continue to support our community with providing a choice school to educate our children at every step of the way.

"TEECS has been experiencing an increase in demand for enrollment majority from Franklin Township, currently for the upcoming lottery we have more than 1,500 applications submitted to our database, which shows the huge demand for our school."

Yildiz said the school's random lottery for the upcoming 2017-18 school year will be held on Saturday at 10 a.m. in the school's gym, and the public is welcome to attend.

The organizations said in its complaint that 20-percent of the township's population is Asian-American. The complaint alleges that Thomas Edison, which was recently granted a five-year renewal through June 2021, is mostly made up of Asian-American students, with 67-percent of its students Asian-American, compared to 17-percent in Franklin Township public schools in 2014-15.

The African American and Hispanic population in the township is 26.5-percent and 12.9-percent respectively, according to the complaint, yet Thomas Edison's has percentages of 13-percent and 4-percent, respectively.

Also, the complaint claims only 8-percent of the Thomas Edison students qualify for free and reduced lunches, an indicator of poverty, while 45-percent of the students in the township schools qualify for the nutritional program.

Franklin C.A.R.E.S. has scheduled a meeting for Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. in the Franklin High School Cafeteria to discuss the situation.

The groups want New Jersey Education Commissioner Kimberley Harrington to reject the expansion proposal by CJCP and rescind its charter.

It is also requesting the closing of the Thomas Edison EnergySmart School because of its failure to integrate.

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The organizations have charged Central Jersey with burdening the township public schools with disabled and English Language Learners students. It claimed in its complaint that students with disabilities at the school is 7-percent compared to 16-percent at township public schools.

It also alleged that English Language Learners is even less representative; Central Jersey did not admit any students in the 2014-15 school year; whereas 5.6-percent of Franklin Township Public School students were English Language Learners.

"CJCP vehemently denies engaging in any form of discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, or any other factor prohibited by federal or state law," school spokesman Timothy A. White said in a statement.

"We will respond to the recent allegations against the school at the appropriate time, in the appropriate forum. The attacks levied against CJCP are part of a larger effort to harass and ultimately shut down public charter schools and deny a public charter school option to families. CJCP is an inclusive and diverse school that provides an outstanding public education to many Franklin Township families."

In 2016, Central Jersey, which will hold its random lottery on March 7 at 6 p.m. in the school auditorium, was recognized by President Obama's Department of Education as a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, according to the release.

In 2016-17 school year, the state mandated the township set aside approximately $9 million of the budget to accommodate charter school tuition, the organization said.

In addition, the township had to pay $812,654 to bus the students, bringing the total amount sent to charter schools to more than $9.8 million.

These taxpayer funds are being taken away from the students in the Franklin Township public schools, the groups allege.

Dave Hutchinson may be reached at dhutchinson@njadvancemedia.com.Follow him on Twitter @DHutch_SL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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