| Greater Brunswick Charter School | |
| Established: | 1998 |
| Grades: | K - 8 |
| Type: | Public elementary school/middle school |
| Enrollment: | 395 (as of 2017–18) |
| Faculty: | 33.0 FTEs |
| Ratio: | 12.0:1 |
| Location: | 429 Joyce Kilmer Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901 |
| Pushpin Map: | USA New Jersey Middlesex County#USA New Jersey#USA |
| Website: | School website |
Greater Brunswick Charter School (GBCS) is a free, public charter school serving grades kindergarten through eighth located on 429 Joyce Kilmer Avenue in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The school has a Spanish-English bilingual program for grades K-4, and has plans to extend it through grade five.[1]
The school opened in the 1998–99 school year. In 2004, it purchased its current building, formerly a bowling alley, with the help of a $500,000 government grant and a $2.5 million loan from New Jersey Community Capital and the Community Redevelopment Fund.[2]
Over the summer of 2010, the charter school expanded, creating over a dozen classrooms and a larger gymnasium out of warehouse space in the building. The funding for this was secured by the nonprofit organization Build With Purpose (then known as READS).[3] A year prior to this expansion, the school's middle school and one fifth grade classroom had been housed across the street from the school building. The following year, a playground was added, with assistance from KaBOOM!.
As of the 2017–18 school year, the school had an enrollment of 395 students and 33.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.0:1.[4] 70.4% were Hispanic, 19.4% were black, 8.1% were white, and 1.8% were Asian. 63.4% of the students were eligible for a free or reduced-price lunch.[5] 55.2% of students primarily spoke Spanish and 44.8% primarily spoke English at home.[6] The school has a student:teacher ratio of 15:1.[7] GBCS will accept students from any district in New Jersey, although it gives preference to those from Edison, New Brunswick, and Highland Park.[8]
Core members of the school administration include Vanessa Jones, the education director; and Hector Alvarez, the assistant education director.[9]