The Year the Hoboken District Lost Capacity for Over 1900 Students

 Look at the chart below and notice the incredible drop in capacity that occurred in the district buildings just as Elysian and Hoboken Charter were coming online and were requesting space. It is all here in black and white...

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Enrollment and Capacity Numbers of the Hoboken Public School Buildings - 2024 J-18 Table

 

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A review of enrollment and capacity data for the Hoboken District Schools, using information from the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, along with other district-level data:

The current figures show that Wallace School is operating six students under capacity, Connors School is 15 under, Brandt School is 121 over capacity, Demarest Middle School is 8 over, and Hoboken High School is 220 students under capacity. These numbers include the 160 students currently enrolled through the CHOICE program, most of whom attend Hoboken High School.

If the CHOICE program were sunsetted—allowing currently enrolled students to graduate while admitting no new students—the district would gradually recover those 160 seats at the high school level over the next four years. This would bring the high school’s available capacity to approximately 380 open seats, significantly increasing flexibility in student placement and program design at the secondary level.

The only schools currently over capacity are Brandt and Demarest. Wallace and Connors both have available space, and the closure of Calabro School in 2020, which removed 137 seats from the system, likely contributed to current crowding in some elementary schools. However, with a phased end to the CHOICE program and more strategic use of existing space, the district has sufficient capacity across its schools to manage current and near-future enrollment levels.

Given this audited data and the likely future availability of space at the high school given some administrative decisions, there appears to be no urgency for new building construction based on enrollment and capacity.

Juneteenth Celebratations in Hoboken - while NJDOE Data Shows Black Students are Left Behind Throughout the Public School District

It is wonderful to celebrate Juneteenth and the history behind June 19, 1865 as these pictures show from Hoboken High School and City Hall earlier this week. I applaud and honor all those who took part in the celebrations and ceremonies. It is also a time to reflect on the failures of the Hoboken School District in mathematics and reading instruction throughout the district concerning our African American students (see Chart 1 and Chart 2).

We must hold and embrace the complexity that this moment requires. Bringing together history and the present to make way for a future that is worthy of all the beautiful and extraordinary talent of Black students in Hoboken. We hope that reflection takes place with the humility, compassion, and courage necessary for real transformation to take root.

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Chart 1- NJDOE ELA 2023-24

Chart 2- NJDOE Math 2023-24

But let’s be clear: reflection without action is performative. It’s easy to pose for pictures and quote from history; it’s much harder to confront the uncomfortable present. The truth is, Black students in Hoboken are being failed academically (see Chart 1 and Chart 2), year after year, in a system that has every advantage—small class sizes, strong funding, stable staffing. These are not the conditions of scarcity. These are the conditions where excellence should be the norm—and yet, that excellence is not being delivered equitably.

If we are serious about honoring Juneteenth, we cannot look away from the data. When only a fraction of African American students are reading and doing math at grade level, it’s not a coincidence—it’s a systemic breakdown. And it is time to name names: school boards, superintendents, administrators, and yes, classroom educators all share in the responsibility for these outcomes. Equity is not a buzzword—it’s a deliverable. And right now, it’s being underdeliveredand underprioritized.

Hollow celebrations mean nothing if they’re not backed by bold leadership and measurable progress. We don’t need more hashtags and photo ops—we need accountability, urgency, and a plan. Hoboken owes its Black students more than symbolic recognition. It owes them a future.

Latest NJDOE Data Shows Hoboken Black and Hispanic Students Lag Far Behind White Peers Across ALL Grades in ELA, Math, and Science

 The most recent released NJDOE disaggregated data (17 2210 HUDSON HOBOKEN) show that Hoboken's Black and Hispanic students are scoring drastically below their White peers in ELA and Math. These are not just academic gaps—they are systemic failures that directly threaten students' futures. In the 21st-century workforce, literacy and numeracy are essential for nearly every career. When students of color are left behind in these core areas year after year, Hoboken isn’t just failing state-mandated and required tests—it’s failing entire communities.

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Stark Racial Disparities and Leadership Failures in Hoboken's Public Schools: An Analysis of 2023-24 NJ DOE Data

The 2023-24 data released by the New Jersey Department of Education paint a troubling picture of educational equity in Hoboken. While headlines might praise the district’s above-average performance compared to state benchmarks, a more honest and critical look reveals a deeply segregated academic reality. White students in Hoboken are thriving at exceptional levels, while African American and Hispanic students are, in many cases, experiencing systemic academic neglect. These disparities reflect not just achievement gaps, but opportunity gaps—symptoms of deeper institutional failures in leadership, pedagogy, and accountability.

English Language Arts (ELA)

In Grade 3, 71% of Hoboken students met or exceeded expectations in ELA—significantly above the state average of 43.6%. But this number masks the truth: 80% of White students met the standard, compared to only 36.4% of African American students and 44.9% of Hispanic students. That means two-thirds of African American students and more than half of Hispanic students in Grade 3 are not reading or writing at grade level. This is not a new trend—it is a systemic failure that continues throughout the grade levels.

This pattern suggests that instructional practices, early literacy interventions, and culturally responsive curricula may be either inadequately implemented or entirely absent for non-white students. The district's leadership must confront the uncomfortable truth: some students are being served far better than others, and it is often along racial lines.

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Mathematics

Math scores deepen this concern. While the overall district performance looks strong on paper, the racial disparities are appalling. In Grade 3, 81.2% of White students met expectations, while only 18.2% of African American and 40.8% of Hispanic students did. By Grade 8, 0% of African American and only 3.6% of Hispanic students demonstrated grade-level proficiency. These are not just numbers—they are indictments.

Such disparities raise critical questions: What instructional supports are being provided to students of color? Are the best teachers equitably distributed across the district? Is the curriculum being differentiated effectively? And more importantly, where is the leadership in addressing these disparities year after year?

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Science

Science scores echo this grim trend. Although statewide science proficiency is generally low, Hoboken’s White students outperform the state by a large margin in 11th grade (32.4%), while African American and Hispanic students drastically underperform (5.3% and 2.5%, respectively). The equity gap here is not merely a reflection of student effort or socioeconomic status—it is a reflection of systemic neglect.

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Summary

The Hoboken Public School District’s reputation for academic excellence is built on uneven ground. The data expose a district that, while high-achieving on the surface, perpetuates educational inequality behind closed doors. African American and Hispanic students are systematically underperforming in every subject and grade level analyzed. These aren't anomalies—they're patterns. And patterns point to institutional issues.

It is time for Hoboken’s educational leadership to be held accountable—not just for aggregate test scores, but for the moral and professional responsibility of ensuring equity. This includes investing in teacher training, reallocating resources, and committing to targeted interventions that address the needs of underserved students. Anything less is a continued failure.

Note: Charts shown above include solid black lines for state averages and dashed black lines for Hoboken's overall performance to aid in clarity and comparison.

Richard E. Del Boccio- Hoboken Educator, Councilman, and Respected Community Member (1941-2025)

I first met Richard E. Del Boccio when I was a sixth-grade student at School No. 8—the Sadie F. Leinkauf School—in Hoboken. He was the Vice Principal then, and even at that young age, I remember being struck by his presence: calm, respectful, and dignified. He treated students with fairness and humanity, and he left a lasting impression on me.

Years later, when I returned to the Hoboken Public Schools as a teacher, and eventually as Assistant Superintendent, I had the honor of working alongside him. Richard never changed—he remained the same steady, supportive, and principled educator I remembered from my childhood. His encouragement meant a great deal to me throughout my career.

In addition to his work at School No. 8, Richard taught history at Demarest and served with distinction for 17 years as principal of the Calabro School. He also served for a time as Interim Superintendent of Schools—always answering the call to lead when his city needed him.

His dedication extended beyond the classroom. Richard was a longtime member of St. Ann’s Parish, helping at the feast for many years, and an active member of the Hoboken Elks Lodge #74, where he chaired the Scholarship Committee for over a decade. His political service as Councilman-at-Large and Second Ward Councilman was marked by integrity and care.

Richard E. Del Boccio embodied the very best of old Hoboken. He was a gentleman in every sense—respected, admired, and never forgotten. -Dr. Anthony Petrosino 

Statement on Hoboken BOE's Facilities Survey

The following is a summary of various posts and concerns gleaned from multiple social media posts. 

Statement on Hoboken BOE's Facilities Survey by Tony Petrosino on Scribd

Hoboken Residents: Read Before Taking the BOE Survey

 What’s Really Going On With the Hoboken Board of Education?

The Hoboken Board of Education is supposed to be in charge of making sure public schools in the city are run fairly, responsibly, and with students’ best interests in mind. But unfortunately, the Board has made many choices in recent years that have caused people in the community to lose trust in them. Their latest move—an online survey asking what should be done about school buildings—is just one more example of how the Board acts without earning the community’s confidence.

This new survey is supposed to help the Board decide if Hoboken needs new school buildings or improvements to the ones we already have. That might sound like a good idea, but there’s a big problem: this Board has a history of making major decisions behind closed doors, without being honest or clear with the public. It’s hard to believe they will use this survey in a fair and honest way, especially since they wrote and are running it themselves without any outside experts. It even collects personal information, and they haven’t explained how it will be used or protected.

Let’s not forget that this is the same Board that tried to spend $300 million on a brand-new high school without asking for enough community input. They supported a superintendent who pretended to have a doctorate for nearly ten years. And now they’re trying to raise taxes by 24% in one year and another 15% the next—even though they promised long ago to keep tax increases small. For over ten years, the public hasn’t been allowed to vote on the school budget. That’s not right.

The Board has also made unfair decisions when it comes to charter schools. They spent two years and a lot of money trying to stop the HoLa Dual Language School from adding 7th and 8th grades. They also tried to block Elysian Charter School from enrolling just a few more kids. But at the same time, the Board brings in over 150 students from outside Hoboken every year through a special state program—then claims the schools are overcrowded. They can’t have it both ways.

Another serious issue is that the district has not done a good job helping all students succeed, especially Black and Hispanic students and those from families with lower incomes. These students continue to fall behind, even though the Board keeps saying things are improving. The truth doesn’t match the words.

Now the Board says it is creating a new 5-Year Plan to guide the future of the schools. That might sound promising, but one of the big goals in that plan is, once again, to focus on building projects—something the community has already rejected. The language they’re using sounds nice, but it hides a lot of the same old problems.

In the end, we need to be very careful. The Hoboken Board of Education has not shown that it can be trusted to act openly, honestly, or fairly. Until real change happens and they start listening to the people they serve, the community must stay alert, ask hard questions, and think twice before believing what the Board says—especially when it comes to surveys, plans, or big new projects.

Photo: May Day parade, Hoboken, NJ 1935

Hoboken Board of Education Survey

The Hoboken Board of Education is asking the community to weigh in on its long-range facilities plan — including if and how to build new schools. Even if you don’t have children in the district, this affects our entire city. The survey closes tomorrow - Monday, May 5th, so please take some time today to fill it out.  Sorry for not circulating this sooner to you.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1S-5G5GgLAkCl0YocAOoF0L1M9qIHgOewcbQ-yapfKCM/viewform?edit_requested=true

It Is Not All About Test Scores in Hoboken...There are Other Things as Well

From time to time I post on social media and my posts often initiate comments from various people often with differing perspectives. My latest post about Algebra I scores seems to have inspired a fair amount of discussion. Here is my general reply to many of the posts I would also like to point out that there were many supportative comments from people as well. The important thing is to have a productive dialogue. -Dr. Petrosino 

I appreciate the passion for Hoboken’s students and the experiences you’ve described. It is important to celebrate student successes and the creative programs that exist in the district. However, it is also essential that we confront some hard truths when assessing the overall health of our public school system.

First and foremost, my concern has never been exclusively about test scores—but rather about what they can indicate when viewed alongside other data points. The issue is not rankings for rankings' sake, but whether our students are consistently receiving instruction that meets or exceeds New Jersey State standards across all subjects and grades. The data—available to all—suggests persistent areas of underperformance that cannot be dismissed.

Moreover, this discussion must be situated within a broader and troubling context:

Leadership Integrity: The district’s current superintendent misrepresented her academic credentials for over a decade. Trust in leadership is foundational. Without it, the community is left questioning every initiative and decision, no matter how well-intended.

Fiscal Stewardship: Hoboken’s school budget has grown at an alarming rate—proposing over 24% last year (eventually a 14% increase) and an additional planned 9.4% this year (2025-26).These increases demand clear, transparent justification and tangible improvements in student outcomes.

Public Engagement: The attempted fast-tracking of a $220 million ($330 million total cost with interest) school bond in 2021 with limited public input raised serious concerns about governance and respect for taxpayer voice. As you know, this referendum was sounding defeated. 

Enrollment Claims: The district continues to cite overcrowding, while simultaneously accepting over 160 out-of-district students annually through the “Choice” program. This contradiction must be addressed honestly.

Educational Pluralism: The legal effort to revoke the charter of HoLa Charter School reflects a troubling resistance to educational diversity and choice within our community. The Hoboken Board of Education also vetoed a request by the Elysian Charter School to increase enrollment by 36 students in total between grades K to 5. 

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Misleading Recognition: The Hoboken Board of Education has spent tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars on a private company that issues imitation “Blue Ribbon” awards—awards that mimic the federal government’s National Blue Ribbon Schools program but have no official standing. These faux accolades were even presented at a City Council meeting as if they held equivalent merit. This is deeply misleading. When parents hear “National Blue Ribbon School,” they rightly associate it with one of the highest honors granted by the U.S. Department of Education—either for overall academic excellence or significant progress in closing achievement gaps. To present anything less under that banner is false advertising and undermines the trust and transparency parents deserve

Most Recent Algebra I Results: Recent New Jersey State testing clearly shows 78% of Hoboken students tested by the state in Algebra 1 are not meeting NJDOE expectations. 80% of economically disadvantaged students tested by the state in Algebra 1 are not meeting NJDOE expectations. 75% of non-economically disadvantaged students tested by the state in Algebra 1 are not meeting NJDOE expectations. 

The vision some shared—of students engaging in hydroponics, global travel, and immersive technologies—is commendable and should be part of any 21st-century educational system. But vibrant field trips and scholarships for a select few cannot mask the systemic issues impacting the many. Equity demands we hold all aspects of the system accountable—not just celebrate its brightest moments.

Respectfully, if we are to truly serve all children in Hoboken, we must be willing to ask the tough questions and address the uncomfortable realities. Only then can we ensure that every student—not just a few—is equipped for a future full of real possibility. Again, I want to thank everyone for their engagement. I suspect we wish for the same things --- but our approaches clearly differ.

Here are some supportive statements that were made to my posts recently that I would also like to share:

1) how does displaying facts about the district equate to “hating” Hoboken? It’s because he cares about the district and town he was raised in that he brings up the data. He loves Hoboken and is more than qualified to comment and provide data to all those brainwashed by the Hoboken Public School district PR firm’s false narrative.

Dr. Anthony Petrosino is recognized as a founding board member of the Hoboken Dual Language Charter School (HoLa). He has publicly acknowledged his role in the school’s establishment and has been actively involved in its development and advocacy.

Dr. Petrosino’s background includes extensive experience in education, having served as a teacher, administrator, and academic. He has held positions such as Assistant Superintendent of Schools for the Hoboken Public Schools and has been involved in various educational initiatives. 

His contributions to HoLa have been part of a broader commitment to advancing bilingual education and fostering academic excellence within the community.

2) It’s incredibly disheartening to see our students caught in the middle of a failing system—one propped up by a disingenuous superintendent, an ineffective Board of Education, and a PR machine more focused on spin than substance. They push a narrative of a “thriving” high school, but informed parents aren’t buying it. Many are choosing to pull their kids from the district long before high school, and the declining enrollment numbers speak for themselves.

This is exactly why there’s no genuine need for a new high school—enrollment isn’t going to capacity of current HS, when trust in leadership is so low. A staggering 14.9% in tax increase in 2024 and 13% increase in 2025, this has delivered zero measurable progress. This isn’t growth. It’s failure. Plain and simple. #Hoboken

Why is not one mayoral candidate addressing it?

Latest NJDOE Data Shows 78% of Hoboken School District Students Not Meeting NJDOE Expectations in Algebra I

Robert Moses was a civil rights leader and mathematics educator who founded THE ALGEBRA PROJECT. One of Robert Moses' notable and powerful statements was: '“Math literacy will be a liberation tool for people trying to get out of poverty and the best hope for people trying not to get left behind.” I'm sure we all share common ground on the critical importance of Algebra instruction. Below is 2023-24 NJDOE data on Algebra performance in the Hoboken School District with the associated URL for your review. 

It clearly shows 78% of Hoboken students tested by the state in Algebra 1 are not meeting NJDOE expectations

80% of economically disadvantaged students tested by the state in Algebra 1 are not meeting NJDOE expectations 

75% of non-economically disadvantaged students tested by the state in Algebra 1 are not meeting NJDOE expectations. 

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I am deeply disappointed and frankly alarmed by the recently released NJDOE data showing that 78% of our students are not meeting expectations in Algebra. This is more than just a statistic—it’s a reflection of a systemic issue that is failing our children and compromising their future.

Algebra is a gatekeeper to higher-level math, science, and ultimately college and career opportunities. When nearly four out of five students in our district are struggling to meet basic benchmarks, it’s not just an academic problem—it’s a social justice issue. These outcomes limit access, stifle potential, and perpetuate inequality.

I urge district leadership and school board members to treat this as the crisis it is. We need transparency, we need accountability, and most of all, we need a plan. Our students deserve high-quality instruction, meaningful support, and the chance to thrive—not be left behind.

This community cannot afford to accept these numbers as normal.

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2023-2024 Algebra I Scores 
Hoboken Public Schools
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N.J.’s top high schools ranked by latest state scores. Hoboken HS Ranked #131

The new ratings come from the annual School Performance Reports. Using data from the 2023-24 school year, parents can take a look at how their student’s school compares to others around the state.

The highest ranking general education school is Mountain Lakes High School in Morris County at 20th.

NJ Advance Media used a metric calculated by the state Department of Education called the “summative rating” to assign each school a ranking number between one and 358

The ratings measure how a school’s “summative score,” which is another measure of success calculated by the state, compares to other schools with the same grade levels.

Summative scores are calculated using standardized test scores, student academic growth, graduation rates and other factors, including chronic absenteeism. Those scores are on a scale of 1 to 100.