Ninth-grade Academy moving to closing charter
TRENTON » The $17 million in renovations will not be wasted.
The Trenton school board voted Monday to lease the former International Academy of Trenton (IAT) Charter School at 500 Perry St. to house the district’s 9th Grade Academy, The Trentonian has learned. Approximately 750 ninth grade students will be educated at the 82,000-square-foot building for the 2018-19 school year.
Trenton Public Schools is leasing the building from EPR Properties at a cost of $1.645 million with an option to purchase for $18 million to $20 million, according to a copy of the school board meeting agenda.
After only one year in the building, IAT was informed earlier this year that it would be stripped of its charter effective June 30 by the New Jersey Department of Education for poor student performance and classroom mismanagement. Prior to the start of this school year, IAT sunk $17 million to revamp the dilapidated Trenton Times building into a stateof-the-art learning center.
The new lease ultimately kills any chances IAT had of staying open.
The 9th Grade Academy is currently housed at the old
Monument School at 145 Pennington Ave.
District officials did not provide any explanation for leasing the property.
Trenton schools spokeswoman Ali Robinson-Rogers did not return multiple messages seeking comment. School board President Gene Bouie also did not respond to a message seeking comment.