A local charter school that opened a few years ago in a building that was previously used by a Catholic church could soon take over another structure that was once used for religious purposes.
The Jersey City Global Charter School, which is located in the former St. Anne’s Elementary School in the Western Slope section of The Heights, has filed an application with City Hall in order to expand operations into a nearby building at 246 Congress Street. The building in question, which sits between John F. Kennedy Boulevard and Nelson Avenue, was previously a convent but currently sits vacant, according to a legal notice. Satellite imagery shows that there is a small parking area behind the structure.
Under the charter school’s proposal, although the building itself would remain standing, interior demolition would take place along with modifications to the facade. Once work on the site is completed, 10 classrooms would be installed inside. Jersey City Global Charter School’s application for Preliminary and Final Site Plan approval is expected to be heard by the Jersey City Planning Board during its meeting on Tuesday, June 4, at 5:30 p.m.
Jersey City tax filings indicate that both the building currently occupied by the charter school and the former convent are still owned by the neighboring St. Anne’s Parish, which is part of the Archdiocese of Newark. Although the church’s own school closed in 2012 after being in operation for over a century, Jersey City Global Charter School opened inside during the following year after receiving the necessary charter from the State of New Jersey. Records from the New Jersey Department of Education show that during the 2017-2018 academic year, there were 366 students enrolled.
Note to readers: The dates that applications are scheduled to be heard by the Jersey City Planning Board and other commissions are subject to change.
