News 12 Staff

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Jun 1, 2023, 10:30 PM

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Updated

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A Newark school principal and a Lacey Township High School student are being credited for their respective schools' students coming to class clean.

Newark Westside School Principal Akbar Cooke came up with a connection years ago that dirty clothes could impact school attendance.

Students with no access to a washer or dryer at home would skip class because they were too embarrassed to show up while wearing dirty clothes.

So Cooke put a laundry in the school.

MORE: Jersey Proud

The same idea just took hold at Lacey Township High School in Ocean County.

Senior class president Jimmy Tomredle got a local appliance store to donate a washer and dryer.

There is now a free laundry facility at Lacey High.

Jimmy says he found out students were being bullied because they were coming to school wearing dirty clothes.

Now residents have donated cleaning supplies.

Anyone can drop off detergent at the high school.