Princeton Charter School
| Princeton Charter School | |
|---|---|
 PCS Logo | |
| “Inspire, Challenge, Support, Accomplish" | |
| Location | |
| Princeton, NJ | |
| Information | |
| Type | Charter School |
| Established | 1997 |
| Faculty | 36 (on FTE basis) |
| Enrollment | 345 (2013-14) |
| Campus | 5 acres (0.020 km2) |
| Color(s) | Red/Black |
| Athletics | Soccer, Field Hockey X-country, Basketball (B&G), Lacrosse (B&G) |
| Mascot | Hawk |
| Website | http://pcs.k12.nj.us/ |
Princeton Charter School is a Free, community public school in Princeton, in Mercer County, New Jersey, serving students in kindergarten through eighth grade.
History
The school is the only public school in Princeton which is not operated by the Princeton Public 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.[1] JerseyCAN ranked Princeton Charter School as the #2 elementary school out of over 1,300 elementary schools in New Jersey and the #1 Middle School (Tied) out of over 750 middle Schools in 2013.[2]
Admission is determined by a random lottery and is open to all students. The school has had three Heads of School. The founding Head was Charles Marsee. After eleven years, he was followed by Dr. Broderick Boxley. After the end of the 2009-2010 school year, Dr. Boxley left the school. Lawrence Patton is the Head of School, Gail Wilbur is the Assistant Head of School for the K-4 building, Lisa Eckstrom is the Assistant Head of School for 5–8 building, and Diane Potorski is the School Business Administrator.
Overview highlights
Students are separated into two buildings. Grades K-4 are in the lower and newer building. which was rebuilt and completed in 2004 after it burned down during construction. In the future PCS plans on doubling the size of grades K-4 and splitting them into sections; A and B. (This has already been done for grades 3 and 4.)Grades 5-8 are in the upper building, each grade having 2 sections; A and B. The library is located in the lower building. An addition to the 5-8 building including an auditorium, a gym, an art room, a music room, and a classroom, was recently completed in early 2010. The school has approximately 340 students, although the "waiting list" is significant.
Curriculum Highlights
Academics is very important to the school. Approximately 85%-90% of the 8th grade graduating class moves on to Princeton High School, while others go to private preparatory schools, such as The Lawrenceville School. There have been students from PCS admitted to the School of American Ballet, The Peddie School, Phillips Andover Academy, Phillips Exeter Academy, and several other private high schools. The school is a Blue Ribbon school and has been rated one of the best charter schools and public schools in the nation. Normally, the school is ahead of the regional school district in their curriculum by one or two years. Every year the students take 2 standardized tests, the NJ ASK (used in public schools) and the Educational Records Bureau CTP's (used in independent schools). During the 2007-2008 school year, its 8th grade was ranked 1st in the state for the science curriculum.
Students taking either Advanced French or Beginner French may participate in "Le Grand Concours", a French knowledge contest, every year. They usually compete in the top ten in state and national with 1 or 2 national winners. As of 2009, students taking Spanish take the National Spanish Exam. The foreign language programs, especially Advanced French, are normally a year or two ahead of the regional schools.
Facilities
Athletics
Mark Papp, the athletic director, started work at PCS in the fall of 2000. Fall athletics are soccer (co-ed), field hockey (Primarily girls, although one boy played for the team in 2009), and cross country (co-ed). Winter sports are limited to basketball (boys and girls - separated), and spring sports are limited to lacrosse (boys and girls - separated), although a co-ed softball team may be opened in the future with enough student body support. The school colors are red and black, used for numerous school-related activities, including "Field Day," and the school mascot is a hawk. Currently two students are working to get support for a baseball team.
References
- ↑ U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 2003 through 2005 (PDF), accessed June 5, 2006.
- ↑ New Jersey's Best Schools in 2013: Top 10 Schools (PDF), accessed July 1, 2013
External links
- Princeton Charter School Main Website or
- Princeton Charter School Alternative Website
- 2003-04 School Report for Princeton Charter School
- Princeton Charter School's 2010–11 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
- 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%).
Coordinates: 40°22′09″N 74°39′25″W / 40.3691°N 74.6570°W