Newark Charter School Named As ‘Blue Ribbon Beacon School’

NEWARK, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of New Horizons Community Charter School. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.

New Horizons Community Charter School is proud to announce that it has been named a 2025 Blue Ribbon Beacon School by the Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence (BRSE). This award designation is a national honor that recognizes outstanding public and non-public schools for excellence in student achievement, innovative leadership, and exemplary teaching and learning practices.

This prestigious designation marks a historic first for New Horizons and highlights the school’s unwavering commitment to academic excellence, whole-child development, and school-wide improvement. The award celebrates schools that serve as models of excellence for others to emulate, and it affirms New Horizons’ significant strides in transforming outcomes for its students and community as the “Model of Excellence in Urban Education.”

The Blue Ribbon Beacon School Award will be formally presented at the Blue Ribbon Schools Conference in Orlando, Florida, on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, at the Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort Convention Center. During the conference, New Horizons will share its success story with educators and school leaders from across the country, offering insights into the strategies, programs, and partnerships that helped pave the way for this extraordinary achievement for students in grades K-8.

The New Horizons Community Charter School has implemented bold strategies to improve student achievement, enhance school climate, and engage families and the broader community. Through its “Success 360” framework, the school supports academic growth, social-emotional wellness, and college and career readiness starting in elementary school. The Blue Ribbon Beacon award will, undoubtedly, catalyze the school’s rebranding campaign to attract more students to enroll in the learning environment.

“This award isn’t just a symbol of where we are today, but a call to continue raising the bar for urban education,” said Dr. Stephen Webb, Principal of NHCCS. “We are proud, but not finished. Our students deserve the best, and we are committed to giving them nothing less.”

Chief School Administrator Rhonda E. Wilson stated, “We could not be prouder of this amazing accomplishment—the first in our school’s history.” “Socioeconomically challenged students can

rise to their full potential when guided by visionary leadership that believes in their brilliance, nurtures their strengths, and creates a school environment where equity, high expectations, and opportunity thrive."

The Blue Ribbon Beacon designation affirms that New Horizons is not only meeting but exceeding high standards of excellence, innovation, and equity in education. This honor places the school in the national spotlight as a beacon of hope and progress in the field of K–8 public charter education.

For more information about the Blue Ribbon Beacon Award and the upcoming conference, please visit the school’s website at nhccshools.org. And, for information about enrollment for the upcoming 2025-2026 School Year and/or to schedule a visit, don't hesitate to get in touch with the school office at (973) 848-0400.

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