The state Department of Education will shut down Schomburg Charter School in Jersey City at the end of this school year ? a move that signifies the Christie administration?s increasingly firm stance against low-performing charters.
The K-8 school has been open since 2000 and is one of New Jersey?s oldest charter schools, but it has been beset in recent years by budget woes, declining enrollment and dismal academic performance, Assistant Education Commissioner Bari Erlichson said in a letter to the school?s board of trustees.
"The decision to close a school is one of the hardest decisions we make, and not one we take lightly," Erlichson said. "We cannot conclude that Schomburg Charter School is a viable school alternative for the students of Jersey City beyond this school year."
A representative from the school could not be reached for comment.

Last month, state education officials announced plans to close Emily Fisher Charter School in Trenton and Pleasant Tech Academy Charter School in Pleasantville. Supporters of both groups have been fighting the decisions in court.
Like Emily Fisher and Pleasant Tech, Schomburg is one of the lowest-performing schools in the state. It underperforms every other public school in Jersey City, where proficiency rates for elementary grades range from 30 percent to 70 percent. Nearly 90 percent of Schomburg?s third- and fifth-grade students failed last year?s state test in language arts.
The school?s academic performance has improved marginally since 2008, but the meager gains are not good enough to keep the school open, Erlichson said in the letter.
Because the school?s enrollment has declined by 50 percent since 2005 ? it had 173 students in the 20011-12 school year ? it no longer collected enough state aid to finance basic operations. The budget submitted to state officials for the next academic year was in the black by only $600, Erlichson said.
"Over the past school year, the Department expressed serious concerns about Schomburg?s fiscal viability and long-term sustainability," according to the letter. "With decreasing revenue and enrollment, the school does not have a viable budget."JJ