School applications in Newark are open for the year 2025-26

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It may seem like the school year has just started, but Newark education officials are already encouraging families to start thinking about next year.

The open enrollment period for Newark Public Schools and city charter schools began on November 2. The public school district held an “all school fair” that day where families could learn more about their options, including specialized schools throughout the city.

Parents can also find videos with more information about programs offered at district schools on the Newark Enrolls website. This year, ten charter schools – which are free, independently operated public schools – are not participating in Newark Enrolls. Families must apply to those schools separately using the Newark Common app.

Chalkbeat has put together a registration guide with important information about this year’s registration process. Here’s what Newark families need to know:

How can I apply?

Parents should apply for a school if their child is enrolling for the first time, wants to change schools, or is in the last year of their current school –– for example, a preschooler who will start kindergarten next fall, or an eighth grader who goes to high school.

Families looking to enroll in one of Newark Public Schools’ more than 60 traditional, specialized or magnet schools will Newark enrolls application, which SchoolMint uses to perform the registration process. If you don’t have a SchoolMint account, you can create one on the Newark Enrolls website.

From there, parents are asked to fill out a series of forms asking questions about their student before selecting a preferred school. Parents can apply to up to eight schools, which families rank online in order of preference.

A complete list of participants schools and videos are available on the Newark Enrolls website or in this guide. The application also offers a charter school option for elementary school students, New Horizons Community Charter School.

Families have until February 7, 2025 to submit a Newark Enrolls application, and school match letters will be released on April 18, 2025.

Last school year, 82% of kindergarten families received their first choice and 82.5% of ninth graders were matched with one of their top three choices, according to the Newark Enrolls FAQ. The only reason a Newark student would not get into his or her top choice would be if the school does not have enough seats for all applicants, the district said. At that time, students are matched to the highest ranked school with available seats.

For admission to one of the districts six magnet schoolsschools rank applicants based on standardized test scores, grades and attendance. Some schools may also require an audition or application process.

Charter school applications

Those who wish to enroll in city charter schools will use the Newark common appa new platform launched in 2022 by the New Jersey Children’s Foundation, a charter-aligned nonprofit organization. Like Newark Enrolls, the Newark Common App features a centralized application, lottery, and waitlist process, but it may feel different for families who are used to one application process for both traditional public schools and charter schools.

The process can be completed in 5-10 minutes and families can apply to up to five schools, the Frequently asked questions about the application. The application’s computer-based lottery system assigns students to the highest choice on their space available list, similar to Newark Enrolls. The first phase of applications ends on March 17, 2025, and parents can submit and edit applications at any time during that period.

If parents miss Phase 1, families can register during Phase 2 starting March 4, 2025. These applications are processed continuously.

There are no documentation requirements for creating or submitting a Newark Common App application. In previous years, families had to prove they lived in the city before applying, but now parents must register their child with Newark Public Schools before formally enrolling in an appropriate school, according to the application’s FAQ. Families who registered before the end of Phase 1 will be notified of their school offer on April 10, 2025.

You can find more information about the 10 schools participating in the Newark Common App online.

Families can also use it My schools Newarkcreated by the charter-aligned New Jersey Children’s Foundation, to search for every school in the city, regardless of which application process it is under. The Newark Enrolls search function only contains information about schools participating in the platform.

Bilingual and special education

Students who have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and require special education services may receive preference to be matched with a school of their choice that provides the services required by their IEP, according to Newark Public Schools. The Newark Enrolls Guide provides a complete list of schools offering bilingual education, English as a second language, and special education programs.

Under New Jersey law, charter schools are also required to serve every student associated with them, including students who require special education or multilingual services.

​​Jessie Gomez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at [email protected].