There’s no shortage of people wanting to open charter schools in NJ

Although the Christie administration has lately backed the expansion of existing charter schools in New Jersey, it is still receiving a healthy number of new applicants, including a few making multiple tries to win approval.

The state Department of Education last week received 24 new applications for charters to open in 2017, including eight making at least their second attempt.

The list encompassed schools large and small, urban and suburban, and at least two networks trying to expand into the state. It included four new proposals in Newark, three in Paterson, and two in Lakewood.

Among the suburban communities seeing new bids are Lebanon in Hunterdon County and Montclair, where a previous proposal was rejected by the state five times.

Recently, the Christie administration has been hesitant to approve new applicants, while it has backed existing schools expanding grades or adding satellites. In the previous round announced in late February, 16 expansions were approved, but just three new schools.

The following are the applications filed last week and the districts they seek to serve. Those in bold type are repeat applications:

Math, Science and Technology Community Charter School; Pennsauken, Merchantville and Maple Shade; K-5 progressing to K-12, 600 to 1300 students

The Legacy Charter School of The Arts & Humanities; Wilingboro, grades 6-9 progressing to 6 – 12, 120 to 210 students

Brown Academy Leadership Career Readiness Learning Center Charter School; Trenton; grade 9 progressing to 12, 200 to 800 students

The Holistic Charter School for Behavior Therapy; Howell and Lakewood Districts, Monmouth and Ocean Counties; K-2 progressing to K-5, 18 to 36 students

Ocean Academy Charter School; Lakewood; K-2 progressing to K-5, 160 to 340 students

Global Learning Charter School; Paterson; K-1 progressing to K-4, 120 to 300 students

Pneuma Academy Charter School for Science, Health and Technology, Newark; K-1 progressing to K-4, 120 to 300 students

Pneuma Academy Charter School for Science, Health and Technology; Plainfield; K-2 progressing to K-5, 180 to 360 students

The Duke Ellington Charter School of the Arts; East Orange; grades 6-8, 100 students in each

The Frank Sinatra Charter School of the Arts; Bloomfield Township, Bloomfield; grades 6-8, 100 students in each

Innovation STEM Charter School; Newark; K-1 progressing to K-4, 120 to 300 students

MIGHT Leadership Elementary Charter School; Paterson; K-4 progressing to K-5 by year two, 375 to 450 students

Universal Business Academy; Englewood; grade 6 progressing to 6-8, 104 to 312 students

Ailanthus Charter School; Franklin Township, New Brunswick; K-1 progressing to K-4, 120 to 300 students

Fulbright Academy Charter School of Montclair; Montclair; K-4 progressing to K-8, 250 to 450 students

Justine Academy Charter School; Lebanon; kindergarten progressing to K-1, 108 students

College Achieve Greater Asbury Park Charter School; Asbury Park public schools and Neptune Township public schools; pre-K-1-5/6 progressing to pre-K-9, 314 to 1,038 students

College Achieve Paterson Charter School; Paterson; pre-K-1 with 5 and 6 progressing to pre-K-9, 314 to 1,038 students

Madame CJ Walker Charter School of Entrepreneurship and Job Development; Newark; K-3 progressing to K-6, 306 to 486 students

Paterson Dual Language (PaDuLa) Public Charter School Paterson; K-2 progressing to K-5, 132 to 264 students

Global Community Charter School; North Plainfield; K-2 progressing to K-5, 126 to 342 students

Elite Academy Charter School; Jersey City; K-2 progressing to K-5, 240 to 480 students

21st Century Charter Community School for Blended Learning and Language; East Orange; pre-K-K progressing to pre-K to 2, 120 to 240 students

Immersion; East Orange; pre-K progressing to pre-K-2, 120 to 240 students

Larry D. Gooding Performing Arts Charter School; East Orange, Irvington and Newark; grades 3-5 progressing to 3-8, 90 to 180 students.

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NJ Spotlight, an independent online news service on issues critical to New Jersey, makes its in-depth reporting available to NewsWorks.