Blanquita B. Valenti Community School

We serve children from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in New Brunswick. Our full-day pre-K uses the Tools of the Mind curriculum, and instruction follows the New Jersey Student Learning Standards. We welcome English language learners and provide special education services as part of our elementary program.

Central Jersey College Prep Charter School (CJCP) is a tuition-free public charter school for kindergarten through grade 12, with a New Brunswick campus among our buildings. We were named a National Blue Ribbon School in 2016 and a National School of Character in 2020. Admission is by weighted public lottery each February, open to New Jersey students with preference for families in Franklin Township, New Brunswick and North Brunswick. Our curriculum centers on college preparation, math and science, with arts, languages and social studies alongside. Upper school students choose from more than 18 AP courses and more than 10 dual enrollment courses through Raritan Valley and Middlesex community colleges, middle schoolers can take high school courses, and we run evening and weekend SAT prep. Counselors lead a College Mentoring Program in small groups of four to seven students. We offer gifted and talented services, and our special education department provides IEP and 504 supports, related services and inclusive instruction. Middle and high school athletes compete in volleyball, soccer, basketball, wrestling, swimming, cross country, baseball, softball, tennis, golf and cricket, and free and reduced-price meals are available.

We were created through a partnership between the New Brunswick Board of Education, an educational program management company, and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital to prepare city students for careers in medicine and health care. Our school sits close to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, and the headquarters of Johnson & Johnson. Admission to our small learning community is competitive, with an application that includes a school counselor section and an entrance assessment. Once enrolled, students keep a 3.0 GPA and take all core courses at the Honors or Advanced Placement level. The course of study includes four years of math and science and three years of a world language, with AP courses in English Language, English Literature, Calculus, Chemistry, and Biology. Partnerships with Rutgers University and Middlesex County College let students earn college credit before graduating. Students also complete career awareness seminars, service learning, career shadowing, and a semester-long internship at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, along with at least 50 hours of community service. Many earn industry-recognized health science credentials.