Thirty-five thousand students started a new school year in Newark Tuesday in what will likely be the last year under state control.
A state commission has recommended that the Newark district revert back to local control next year after being under state control for 21 years.
Gov. Chris Christie said at a bill signing in Caldwell that if Newark meets the state standards, it will likely return to local control for the 2017-18 school year.
"I have no interest in being in control of the Newark school district for a day longer than I have to," he said.
Mayor Ras Baraka, a former Newark high school principal himself, has pushed for years to return the control of the district back to the community.
"We are on track for the next school year, and hopefully we will do everything we can to have our school system back under our control," he said.
Parents are optimistic, too.
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"As long as they keep the curriculum good and she can graduate from high school and college, then I'm all for it," said Larissa Jiminez.
Newark has shown significant progress in several areas, including its high school graduation rate: just 56 percent in 2011, and 70 percent three years later. But PARCC scores show more improvement is needed, with just 22 percent of students testing proficient in English and 17 percent proficient in math.
Parents and students in Newark say they want more community schools, and say offering pre-K education is another way to help students succeed.
Charter school enrollment in Newark has also tripled in the last five years. It's unclear whether returning the schools to local control would continue that trend, or slow it down.
