Our Story

While working at CURA in Secaucus, New Jersey, Mrs. Teresa Segarra became deeply involved in the organization’s Newark Youth Program. It was there that she met Ms. Maria Varisco, and through their work together, they discovered a shared passion for education and a commitment to serving the children of Newark.

Driven by this shared vision, Mrs. Segarra began to imagine a school that would offer an alternative approach to education—one that would meet the diverse academic, social, and emotional needs of every student. She shared this dream with Ms. Varisco, planting the seed for what would become a transformative educational community.

In 1995, the State of New Jersey passed the Charter School Program Act, allowing charter schools to operate as public school districts. Recognizing this as a pivotal opportunity, Mrs. Segarra took the first steps toward turning her vision into reality.

In 1998, Teresa and Jose Segarra submitted an application to the New Jersey Department of Education to establish the Maria L. Varisco-Rogers Charter School, named in honor of the late Ms. Maria Varisco-Rogers. The application was approved in January 1999, and by August of that year, with the support of CURA, the school officially opened its doors.

Since its founding, Maria L. Varisco-Rogers Charter School has grown into a thriving learning community, proudly serving students in grades K–8 from Newark and surrounding areas. Today, the school is recognized as a Tier I institution and has been designated by the New Jersey Department of Education as a Model ESL Program.