SCHOOL DESCRIPTION 

The GCCS opened in September 2000. Located at 112 South New York Road, Galloway, NJ 08205, the school is housed in a newly constructed 24,000 square foot facility on a 4.5 acre lot.

The school’s charter authorized a maximum enrollment of 465 students
in grades K through 8. The maximum number of students per class is 15. The school draws its students from throughout Atlantic County.

The school’s lead person is Ms. Deborah Nataloni (Tel. 609-652-7118 #110), (Fax. 609-652-3640), E-mail D. Nataloni. The Galloway Community Charter School is governed by a nominated Board of Trustees that exists independent of the local Board of Education.

The defining attributes of the school are its curricular themes, International Studies, Arts & Humanities, Technology and Environmental Studies and small class size.

SCHOOL MISSION

In 1996 New Jersey joined the ranks of two dozen other states by creating independent public schools known as charter schools. Charter Schools are designed to reinvigorate public education.

Charter schools are charged with a duty and responsibility to pursue innovation and accountability. The founders of our school accepted this challenge and created the Galloway Community Charter School.

The GCCS mission supports a child-centered environment that promotes independent and cooperative learning based on inquiry and exploration. GCCS is designed to:

• Provide individual learning plans for all students
• Balance alternative and traditional means of assessment.
• Promote differentiated learning

The GCCS curriculum allows students in kindergarten to grade four to explore themes in the areas of Arts and Humanities, Environmental Sciences, International Studies and Technology. In grades five through eight, students select a major for exploratory study.

FACTS ABOUT CHARTER SCHOOLS

Fifty-one approved charter schools are located throughout New Jersey in rural, suburban, and urban areas.

• Fourteen counties (Atlantic, Bergen, Camden, Cape May, Essex, Hudson, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, Union, and Warren) have approved charter schools.
• Average enrollment in a charter school is 193 students.
• Average school year for a charter school is 186 days.
• Average length of a school day in a charter school is slightly over 7 hours.
• Average instruction time is slightly over 6 hours.
• All classroom teachers and professional support staff must hold appropriate New Jersey certification.
• Charter schools are open to all students from the districts of residence on a space-available basis and cannot discriminate in their admission policies on the basis of intellectual or athletic ability, measures of achievement or aptitude, status as a handicapped person, proficiency in the English language, or any other basis which is deemed illegal if used by district boards of education.
• Charter schools may not charge tuition.
• Charters bring American education to a new and unprecedented level of accountability.
• Charter schools test and evaluate students annually.
• Charter schools have detailed, written performance contracts with the New Jersey Department of Education.
• Charter schools give parents new freedom to choose their public schools and “vote with their feet.”
• Charter schools routinely measure parent approval and student progress. They must respond with proven success to the New Jersey Department of Education, parents, policymakers, and their communities.
• If a charter school is not successful, the charter can be revoked by the New Jersey Department of Education.