The Hola Dual Language School's Charter in Hoboken is Renewed for Five More Years

HOBOKEN, NJ — (Hoboken Patch Feb 26, 2024- Caren Lissner) The state of New Jersey has renewed a charter for one of Hoboken's three public charter schools, which will continue to expand slightly. "The charter for Hoboken Dual Language School (HOLA) was renewed on Jan. 31, 2024, for a period of five years through June 30, 2029," said a spokesperson for the state Department of Education on Monday. "A request was also granted for an expansion of 12 seats by the 2025-2026 school year." 

 In Hoboken, the first two charter schools — Hoboken Charter School and Elysian Charter School — were founded in the late 1990s after charters became legal in New Jersey. In 2010, Hola — a K-8 dual language school where students are taught in English and Spanish — was founded initially as a K-5 school . All three charter schools hold a lottery each January to determine which students can enroll, with extra weight for those receiving public assistance, and preferences given to students for having a sibling in the school and for living in Hoboken.

The Hola Dual Language School is a free public school that was founded by individuals who were independent of the existing public school system, and included local citizens, researchers,  and educators. Originally, Hola was intended to be a part of the Hoboken Public School system but this proposal was voted down by some members of the Hoboken Board of Education including Theresa Minutillo, Rose Marie Markle, and Carrie Gilliard in Feb of 2009. 

Hola was granted the right in 2015 to expand to seventh and eighth grade, although the expansion was initially challenged by the Hoboken Board of Education.

In 2017, they also received permission to add six students per grade. This year, the expansion was included as they re-applied. According to information from the state Department of Education, each grade will have 50 students by the 2025-2026 school year:

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The state said, "HOLA submitted its renewal application on October 13, 2023 and has been evaluated by the New Jersey Department of Education (Department) on its academic performance, fiscal viability and operational stability. Through the renewal process, HOLA requested to increase its maximum enrollment from 438 seats to 450 seats by the 2025-2026 school year." On Jan. 31, Hola announced that it was pleased to have had its charter renewed for the third time, saying, "We are happy to share fantastic news with all of you — the NJ Department of Education just officially renewed our charter. This is the third consecutive renewal and a significant achievement for our entire community ... In New Jersey, a charter renewal is a significant process, including a review of a school's financial performance, operations, governance, and academic achievement."

In the past, the proposed expansion of charter schools in Hoboken, and proposals for new schools, was met with frustration and lawsuits by some who argued that they might be taking funding and resources away from other schools in addition to fallacious claims of "white flight." . You can read more about the controversy and lawsuits here.