State to give control of Newark schools back to district

The city of Newark could soon be running its own schools again after 20 years under state control.
The state Board of Education will take a vote next week, and it is expected to vote in favor of returning control to the city.
State officials cited years of mismanagement and low test scores when they took control of the district. But Gov. Chris Christie says that Newark students are succeeding now more than ever.
“Instead of students falling further and further behind, they’re climbing higher and higher,” he said Wednesday. “Newark students are at the top of New Jersey’s classes, exceeding their peers in academics accomplishments across the entire state.”
The governor also cited the $100 million donation made in 2010 by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to help fund Newark education as contributing to the success.
The district serves approximately 40,000 students.