The Marion P. Thomas Charter School received its charter in 1998 for grades K-6. After a planning year it opened in 1999 with 60 students in grades K-2. Today there are 340 students in grades K-8. The students are a microcosm of the City of Newark and came with the same needs and desires as children in any traditional Newark Public School. Because of the small classroom environment of no more than 20 students