The top reported proficiency rate is 12% in English language arts. The lowest is 0% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Academy for Urban Leadership Charter School
Academy for Urban Leadership Charter School served students in grades seven through twelve in Middlesex County, New Jersey, but it has now closed. The New Jersey Department of Education revoked its charter effective June 30, 2025, after the school failed to address deficiencies identified during a probation period that began in early 2024. Families who had enrolled here must now turn to their home district or find another school.
The school was a single-campus charter operating as its own district. Enrollment was on the smaller side for a secondary school, drawing students mainly from Perth Amboy and surrounding areas. The student body was overwhelmingly Hispanic, with a much smaller share of Black students and a very small White presence. Data on economic disadvantage and special education status was not reported, so a parent would have needed to ask the school directly about those supports while it was open.
State testing results from the 2024-25 school year, the last year of operation, show very low proficiency rates in math, English language arts, and science. In seventh and eighth grade math, no students met the proficient or above mark. In English, about a small fraction of seventh graders and a somewhat larger but still low share of eighth graders reached proficiency. On the eighth-grade science test, proficiency was similarly very low. Compared with other districts across Middlesex County, overall proficiency fell in the bottom quartile. These numbers suggest that academic attainment was a serious challenge at this school, and families considering it in the past would have wanted to investigate this closely.
On a more positive note, the school’s chronic absenteeism rate was relatively low, landing in the top quartile among county districts. That indicates that when it was operating, most students attended regularly, which is a foundation for any academic progress. Per-pupil spending was in the upper range among the county’s districts, meaning the school devoted a relatively high amount of funding per student.
The district brief does not contain any information about course offerings, Advanced Placement or dual-enrollment programs, career pathways, extracurriculars, or staffing ratios. Those details were not available in the source material, so a full picture of what the school offered beyond test scores is missing.
The critical fact for any parent or resident reading this is that the school is no longer accepting students. The charter revocation and closure are official, confirmed by both the state education department and the school’s own website. Any prior consideration of this option for a child’s education is moot. Families who had been relying on Academy for Urban Leadership must now find a new placement through their home district, and the data about its past performance is primarily useful for understanding the educational landscape that existed before the closure, not as a current choice.
Overall, this was a small charter serving a predominantly Hispanic student population, with very low state test scores, decent attendance, and above-average per-pupil spending. It no longer exists as an option, and that reality overshadows any other attribute. Parents looking for schools in Middlesex County should focus on the traditional public districts or other charter schools that remain open.
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