2023 – 2024 JC Public Schools Calendar

And tips for Public School Parents!

Click to access 2023-24districtcalendar_nophotos.pdf

  • Students get Thanksgiving Break, Winter Break, and Spring Break.
  • To parents that have recently switched their child from a private school to a Public School, I recommend looking through the entire calendar. Sometimes Public School students have teacher workshops and holidays that private schools may not close school for. 
  • It is also helpful to be familiar with the calendar for vacation planning, especially since in Public Schools, you can’t take lengthy vacations when students don’t have a break. Students have 17 days they are allowed to be absent.
  • If students have 18 or more unexcused absences (absence without a doctor’s note) in a school year, they may fail the year unless they take summer school. (The repercussions tend to vary a little bit between Public Schools).
  • I would also recommend asking your child’s guidance counselor for an infinite campus portal, if you haven’t already received one, to see if pulling them out of school is worth it. You are able to see their grades and how many absences they have so far on infinite campus.
  • Something that new Public School parents are often shocked by is that Public Schools usually end the last week of June or when school days are added to June. But Jersey City Public Schools must complete the 180-day requirement so if there are snow days, a school day will be added to June.

Monthly Update for June 2023!

For high school students, exams are from June 12th to the 16th

June 19th the district is closed for Juneteeth

June 22, 23, and 26 are half days (4-hour sessions of school)

If no emergency days are needed, Public Schools will finish the school year on June 26

For more details, click here: 2022-2023 JCBOE public school monthly calendar

New All Girls’ Preparatory Academy in JC!! (accepting applicants this fall)

Starting in September of 2023, there is officially an all girls middle school in Jersey City. Girls’ Preparatory Academy is a college prep middle school for girls only with a college culture. It is co-located in Dr. Charles P. DeFuccio School, P.S. 39 which is right on the West Side of Lincoln Park. (P.S. 39 is located on 214 Plainfield Ave, Jersey City, NJ 07306).

Superintendent Norma Fernandez discussed the topic in the Jersey Journal stating that for all worried P.S. 39 parents, the new program will not displace any P.S. 39 students. In fact, Fernandez explained the school is under capacity and has a lot of extra room right now. It is also in a central location of Jersey City which makes it a great place for the Girls’ Preparatory Academy.

Parents can join one of the Academy’s open houses for school information sessions, application information, tours, and to ask questions:

Saturday, April 22, 9-11 AM

Saturday, April 29, 9-11 AM

The JC Girls’ Preparatory Academy is attached to an organization called “The Young Women’s Leadership Schools.” They have other locations nearby, such as their school in the Bronx. To see their rankings, (state-test scores and more) click here.

McNair/Infinity Acceptance Letters Are Out

The first round of McNair and Infinity Applications have been returned to 8th graders (the class of 2027). Most McNair and Infinity application decisions were sent out on Friday of last week (March 10, 2023). Wait listed students should be aware that McNair and Infinity have to wait for students who recieved acceptance letters to send them their decisions before they send out the second round of letters to those on the waiting list.

McNair Fact: Around 200 students are selected out of a little over 1,000 applications each year.

Pre-K Registration 2023-2024

Jersey City Public Schools Early Childhood Department has announced that Free Pre-K Program Registrations will be available starting March 1st. The JCBOE strongly recommends registration by March 31st. You can apply online by going to the JCBOE website. You can also register online at any local branch of the JC Free Public Library. In order to be eligible for the 2023-24 school year, your child must be 3 years old on or before Oct. 1 2023 (Pre-K3) or must be 4 years old on or before Oct. 1, 2023 (Pre-K4)

To learn how to complete the Pre-K online registration in greater detail, you can watch the Pre-K online registration video to see JCBOE’s YouTube tutorial.

AEP/Infinity Institute Applications (2023-2024) Are Out!

Online applications can be accessed through this link  starting Thursday, February 23, 2023. Completed applications must be submitted by Thursday, March 23, 2023, at 11:59 pm. Jersey City Public School students in 5th and 6th grade who apply to AEP and Infinity Institute often take the OLSAT assessment in their schools during the week of April 24, 2023.

Click here for information on how to prepare for the OLSAT

Click here to see what percentage of the OLSAT determines your chance of getting into AEP

Click here to see what percentage of the OLSAT determines your chance of getting into Infinity Middle School

February 2023 (Monthly Update Post)

  • February 6 marked the end of marking period 2.
  • February 14 is a half day for high school students only because of HS parent conference from 1:30 – 3 pm (12:45 dismissal)
  • February 15 is a half day for elementary school students only because of ES Parent Conference from 1:30 – 3 pm (12:45 dismissal)
  • February 16 is a half day for middle school students only because of MS Parent Conference from 1:30 – 3pm (12:45 dismissal)
  • February 20 is Presidents Day so there is no school (district closed)