Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: What Newark’s new “off and away” cellphone rule means for students

Coming up on the Newark Patch calendar: Our Newark Futures: Artist Conversation with ANNE PERCOCO

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Hello Newark! Here's our latest buzz. Let's get into it. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • What Newark's new "off and away" cellphone rule means for students
  • Are Newark schools' dramatic attendance gains real—or just creative bookkeeping?
  • How Newark residents are steering millions in new neighborhood investments

Also on today's calendar: Our Newark Futures: Artist Conversation with ANNE PERCOCO and 12 more events.

Today's riddle: What do you get when you cross an angry cow with an angry sheep? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

  • Thursday: A stray morning shower; warm, with a high of 87 and low of 68 degrees. 🌶 Hot!
  • Friday: Turning sunny and less humid, temps: high: 81, low: 62.
  • Saturday: Sun giving way to clouds, with a high of 79 and low of 67 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. New Jersey students return to classrooms under new statewide cellphone ban (6abc.com) — Newark Public Schools students are starting the year under New Jersey's new statewide cellphone ban, with an "off and away" rule that can lead to confiscation or discipline if devices are seen or heard. As the district enters year seven of its 10-year improvement plan, Superintendent Roger Leon toured schools to welcome students and reinforce the new expectations.
   

2. Huge Newark school attendance Improvement: Miracle or Mirage? (app.com) — Newark families are being told that chronic absenteeism in city schools has plunged from 28 percent to just over 8 percent, but experts and former teachers are questioning whether those numbers are realistic or inflated by looser state rules. The piece explains how attendance is tracked, why Newark's gains are so unusual, and what incentives schools may have to massage data, while also highlighting on-the-ground efforts like home visits and truancy patrols.
   

3. After 100 Years, Victoria Foundation Looks To Newark Residents To Shape Its Next Chapter (njurbannews.com subscription) — A century-old Newark-based Victoria Foundation is shifting more power to Newark residents, especially in Upper Clinton Hill, Fairmount, and Lower Broadway, to decide how millions in grants are used. Through neighborhood meetings and programs like Neighbors Helping Neighbors and youth-led grantmaking, the foundation is prioritizing affordable housing, youth spaces, and better-paying jobs shaped directly by community voices.
   

4. Ramos leads Newark Council call for temporary data-center moratorium (newjerseyglobe.com) — Newark's Municipal Council has approved a temporary halt on new data-center development so the city can study impacts on the power grid, water supply, and neighborhood infrastructure. Councilman Anibal Ramos Jr. says the pause will help craft rules requiring developers to invest in utilities and protect residents from higher bills before any large-scale projects move forward.
   

5. A Tale of Two Tax Narratives: Baraka, DiVincenzo Clash Over Newark's County Levy (tapinto.net) — Newark homeowners face an average property tax bill of about $8,100 this year, as the city's share of the Essex County levy climbs and sparks a public feud between Mayor Ras Baraka and County Executive Joe DiVincenzo. The two Democrats sharply disagree over whether a delayed property revaluation, county tax-exempt properties, or City Hall's own budgeting decisions are driving Newarkers' higher bills and what changes state law should make.
   

📸 Around Newark

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Even AI Knows Its Limits: Why Poison Centers Still Matter —NJ Poison Control Center Read on Patch
  • Hi neighbors,
    I'm not rich but I'm very wealthy with God on my side. (Nextdoor Roseville)
  • Vesta Corporation posted a job opening for Regional Maintenance Manager, Newark Area in Newark. Apply here.
  • Hallmark Aviation Services posted a job opening for Airline Customer Service Senior Supervisor in EWR Airport in Newark. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Newark here.

Ok Newark! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: An animal that's in a baaaaad mooood! (Thank you Lisa A. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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