LEAP (Leadership, Education, and Partnership) Academy University Charter School is a

charter school A charter school is a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established state school system in which it is located. It is independent in the sense that it operates according to the basic principle of autono ...

that serves students in

kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cen ...

through

twelfth grade Twelfth Grade (also known as Grade 12, Senior Year, Standard 12, 12th Standard, 12th Class, or Class 12th or Class 12) is the twelfth and final Educational stage, year of Formal education, formal or compulsory education. It is typically the final ...

s from Camden, in Camden County, in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

. The school operates under the terms of a charter granted by the

New Jersey Department of Education The New Jersey Department of Education (NJ DOE) administers state and federal aid programs affecting more than 1.4 million public and non-public elementary and secondary school children in the state of New Jersey. The department is headquartered ...

. Founded in 1997, the school is split into three divisions, a K-6 lower school, a 7-12 upper school and a STEM high school for grades 9-12. As of the 2023–24 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,553 students and 102.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

student–teacher ratio The student–teacher ratio or student–faculty ratio refers to the number of students who attend a school or university divided by the number of teachers or staff in the institution. For example, a student–teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that ...

of 15.2:1. There were 1,086 students (69.9% of enrollment) eligible for

free lunch A free lunch is the provision of a meal at no cost, usually as a sales enticement to attract customers and increase revenues from other business. The practice was once common in saloons and taverns in many places in the United States, with the ...

and 91 (5.9% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.School data for LEAP Academy University Charter School

National Center for Education Statistics The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the principal federal agency responsible for collecting, analyzing, and reporting data on education in the United States. Established under , it operates within the Institute of Education S ...

. Accessed December 15, 2024.

History

Based on an idea by Gloria Bonilla-Santiago, the school was one of the initial group of 16 statewide granted a charter by the

and was the only school in

South Jersey South Jersey, also known as Southern New Jersey, comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located between Pennsylvania and the lower Delaware River to its west, the Atlantic Ocean to its east, Delaware to its south, ...

to be granted a charter. The school opened in September 1997 in temporary facilities with 324 students in grades K-5, who had been selected by lottery from 500 applications submitted. The school moved to its permanent location on Cooper Street in 1999 and graduated its first eighth-grade class in July 2001, by which time the school had an enrollment of 500 students in grades K-8. The school opened for grades 9-12 with a total high school enrollment of 216 students for the 2001-02 school year under the terms of a second charter.

Awards, recognition and rankings

The school was the 213th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 339 schools statewide in ''

New Jersey Monthly ''New Jersey Monthly'' is an American monthly magazine featuring issues of possible interest to residents of New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United St ...

'' magazine's September 2014 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools".

Athletics

The LEAP Academy LionsLEAP Academy University Charter

New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) is an association of hundreds of New Jersey high schools that regulates high school athletics and holds tournaments and crowns champions in high school sports. State championsh ...

. Accessed October 20, 2020. sports programs are overseen by the

. The school is not affiliated with a league or conference. With 350 students in grades 10-12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Group I for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 75 to 476 students in that grade range.

Administration

Core administration are *Early Learning Academy - Stephanie Rogers, Director *Lower Elementary - Shanell Hartman, Principal *Upper Elementary/Intermediate - Jovita Veguilla, Principal *High School - Dana Rivas, Principal File:Gloria bonilla santiago leap academy university charter school.jpg, Gloria Bonilla-Santiago with students in 2011 File:Leap academy university charter school 1.jpg, Leap Academy University Charter School in 2011 File:Leap academy university charter school 2.jpg, Leap Academy University Charter School in 2011 File:Leap academy university charter school 3.jpg, Leap Academy University Charter School in 2011 File:Leap academy university charter school 4.jpg, Leap Academy University Charter School in 2011 File:Leap academy university charter school 5.jpg, Leap Academy University Charter School in 2011

References

External links

LEAP Academy University Charter School
*
LEAP Academy University Charter School

{{Authority control 1997 establishments in New Jersey Charter schools in New Jersey Elementary schools in New Jersey Educational institutions established in 1997 High schools in Camden, New Jersey Middle schools in New Jersey Public high schools in Camden County, New Jersey