Welcome to Court Street School Education Community Center

Board of Trustees

President  - Andrea D. McPherson

President Emeritus - Lillie Ham-Hendry

Treasurer - Joseph Aird, CPA

Secretary - Kyle Warren

Trena Parks-Bradley

Spencer Brown

Lisa Coutts

John Grant

Ed Horigan

Fred Rubin

Nancy Ruiter

The Court Street School is one of the principal structures associated  with the segregated history of early twentieth century education for  African Americans in Freehold, New Jersey.   The original school was organized in 1915, exclusively for the education  of African American children by the Freehold Board of Education. It was  a one-room wooden building located just west of the present site. The  existing school was constructed in two phases in 1920 and 1926. All  African-American children in Freehold were educated at Court Street  School from kindergarten through eighth grade until World War II, when  the school was used as an air raid shelter and a ration station. Under  pressure from war veterans, a court order integrated the school and it  reopened for kindergarten through third grade in 1949. The school  finally closed in 1974.   In 1990, the Court Street School Education Community Center, Inc. was  formed as a non-profit, tax-exempt organization to restore the school  for use as an Education Community Center and to preserve it as an  African-American historic landmark. The group received a grant from the New Jersey Historic Trust and the Monmouth County  Board of Freeholders to restore the facility. In 1995, the building  became an official historic site in the state of NJ, and was placed on  the National Register of Historic Sites. The school now operates as a  community education and historical center..

To preserve the structure of the Court Street  Schoolhouse as a historical viable community based educational center.  

To work in collaboration with other groups, organizations, institutions and individuals to provide supportive services to all in the community.

To work with families and schools to enhance educational development opportunities for the personal growth of all people. 

To provide educational, multi-cultural and historic activities to all in the community.

To inspire hope to all children and their families.