Garcia Recommends Withdrawal of Hoboken School Board’s Petition against Hoboken Dual Language Charter School

Hoboken School District’s Appeal Will Cost Taxpayers Thousands of Dollars & Further Divide The Residents of our City


           
 (TRENTON) – Assemblyman Carmelo Garcia is urging the Hoboken School Board to drop their appeal against Hoboken’s Dual Language Charter School’s expansion. As a former Hoboken School Board Member, Assemblyman Garcia recognizes the duty each board member has to the students in the traditional Hoboken Public School System; however, this petition seems misguided, unfairly targeted and divisive.  Read closely, the language contained in this petition not only threatens  HoLa’s expansion, but also its charter’s current viability. “There has got to be a better way,” said Garcia.  

“There is no room for the type of divisiveness being shown by Board President Leon Gold,” Garcia commented.  HoLa is a shining example of what can happen when Hoboken residents work together. HoLa should be commended for the type of academic diversity and cultural inclusion it promotes. The state vetting process was open and fair; and it troubles me that a free, public charter school such as HoLa, is being unfairly targeted by Hoboken School Board Members,” continued Garcia (D- Hudson). 

“There are only two potential losers as a result of a challenge like this, our students and our taxpayers. At the end of the day, the taxpayers will pay threefold: (1) pay for this frivolous appeal itself, (2) pay for the response by the State of New Jersey Department of Education and (3) pay for whatever response HoLa’s legal counsel deems fit. Rather than attacking HoLa and its unprecedented success in Hoboken, the real challenge before us is whether or not the State of New Jersey’s funding formula for our schools can be changed to reflect all of our public school options.  To that end,  I pledge to work with anyone willing to help find a productive legislative solution to this problem.” stated Garcia.