College Achieve Asbury Park Programs: An In-Depth Look

College Achieve Asbury Park (CAPS) is a public charter school committed to preparing scholars to excel in and graduate from top colleges. CAPS Asbury aims to produce college graduates who will return to their communities to become leaders.

Overview of College Achieve Asbury Park

College Achieve Greater Asbury Park Charter School (CAPS Asbury) is one of three "College Achieve" public charter schools approved by the Department of Education (DOE). The other two are College Achieve Central Charter School (CAPS Central) and College Achieve Paterson (CAPS Paterson). CAPS Central draws students from Plainfield and North Plainfield, while CAPS Paterson draws students from Paterson. CAPS Asbury serves students from Asbury Park, Neptune, and several districts within the greater Asbury Park area.

CAPS Asbury was granted initial charter approval in the fall of 2016 and opened for the 2017-2018 school year. It serves approximately 537 students in kindergarten through 12th grades across three facilities:

3455 West Bangs Avenue in Neptune
700 Grand Avenue in Asbury Park
508 3rd Avenue in Asbury Park

The school's minority enrollment is 100%, with 89.0% of students being economically disadvantaged. The student body consists of 3.3% White, 56.4% Black, 0% Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander, 39.5% Hispanic/Latino, 0.9% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander. Approximately 46% of students are female, and 54% are male.

Academics and Performance

At College Achieve Greater Asbury Park Charter School, 50% of elementary students tested at or above the proficient level for reading, and 14% tested at or above that level for math. Similarly, 50% of middle school students tested at or above the proficient level for reading, and 14% tested at or above that level for math. Data on high school students' test scores is not available.

The school's mission is centered around preparing students for college. College Achieve Asbury Park (CAPS) is a free education kindergarten through high school public charter school founded in 2013.

Financial Overview

College Achieve Greater Asbury Park Charter School spends $18,201 per student each year, with an annual revenue of $10,591,000. The district allocates its spending as follows:

$6.5 million on instruction
$3.7 million on support services
$0.4 million on other expenses

The revenue per student is $24,459, and the total current expenses amount to $10,593,000.

Athletics

CAPS Asbury has gained recognition for its boys' basketball team, which has become a dominant force in New Jersey. In 2023, Dave Boff, a decorated basketball coach, took over the program. Boff's prior experience includes coaching at Roselle Catholic High and serving as an assistant to Bob Hurley at St. Anthony in Jersey City. In his first year, 2023-24, the team excelled in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, Group 1. The National team competed independently against national-level prep schools, achieving a 19-11 record and ranking 65th nationally.

The National team competes against other strong college prep programs in New Jersey for a postseason seed in the New Jersey Open Tournament.

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Key Players (2025-2026 Roster)

Tobe Nwobu (2026): A 6’1 guard with the ability to drive past defenders and a strong midrange and 3-point shot. He has received Ivy League interest and plays AAU with NY Rens.
Eddie Lopez (2026): A 6’6 small forward transferring from Middletown North High (NJ), expected to provide outside shooting and toughness.
Jebron Harris (2026): A 6’4 guard (Monmouth University commit) returning to Neptune City after winning a State Championship with College Achieve.
Ny’Sean Kennedy (2026/2027): A 6’3 wing and returner from the 2024 State Championship team, providing energy and hustle plays.
Al'Tariq Reevey (2026): A 6’10 Center expected to be a significant inside presence, shot blocker, and rebounder. Plays AAU with NY Lightning.
Mike Sullivan (2026): A 6'5 small forward with inside/outside offensive capabilities.
Malachi McKelvin (2028): A 6'7 small forward, athlete who excels in transition and is developing perimeter skills.
Dominic Mauro (2029): A point guard considered one of the better players in the country for his age group, known for playmaking and shooting range. Has already been offered by Holds a LaSalle. Plays AAU with NY Lightning.
Ace Murphy (2029): A skilled guard who handles the ball well and can score at multiple levels, emphasizing teamwork and passing.

Governance and Oversight

Charter schools in New Jersey operate under a charter granted by the Department of Education (DOE). The Commissioner of Education has the authority to establish a system of public charter schools, aiming to increase pupil learning, educational choices, and innovative learning methods. Charter schools must adhere to the same laws and regulations as other public schools and are funded with local and state public funds.

The DOE oversees all New Jersey public schools, including charter schools, to ensure students receive a high-quality education. The Commissioner evaluates a charter school’s performance annually and before granting charter renewal, based on academic, financial, and organizational factors.

Charter Management Organization (CMO)

College Achieve schools contract with College Achieve Central Office (CACO), a Charter Management Organization (CMO), for comprehensive school management.

CACO is a private, non-profit entity formed by Michael Piscal in 2012, who serves as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO). CACO receives public funds through management fees charged to the charter schools. These fees range from 14 to 15 percent of each school’s yearly program revenues. CACO assumes responsibility for many core aspects of school operations, including implementing the school’s educational program, recruiting, training, budgeting, facilities planning, and providing additional services. CACO oversees the business functions for the charter school.

In a four-year period, CACO received nearly $14.8 million in public funds for services provided to the three schools. A significant portion was paid in salaries to the organization’s executive leadership and the executive directors of the charter schools. The CEO received total compensation of $795,515 in FYE 2023 and a total of $2.35 million from FYE 2020 to FYE 2023. The highest-paid executive director of the charter schools received total compensation of $520,674 in FYE 2023.

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OSC Investigation

The Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) initiated an investigation into CAPS Asbury following public reports of potential financial mismanagement, illegal procurement practices, and a lack of transparency regarding the use of public funds. The investigation focused on the period from CAPS Asbury’s initial approval by DOE in 2016 through FYE 2024.

OSC interviewed members of the CAPS Asbury Board of Trustees and CACO employees. OSC also subpoenaed Jodi McInerney, the Executive Director of CAPS Asbury, and Tim McInerney, the school’s Principal, to provide testimony, but they did not appear for interviews. CACO produced several witnesses for interviews but declined to produce documents OSC subpoenaed, leading to litigation.

OSC’s investigation confirmed many problems at CAPS Asbury that were reported in the news.

Key Findings of the OSC Investigation

Contractual Issues

The contract between CAPS Asbury and CACO was not submitted to or evaluated by DOE as part of the charter approval process. This contract undermines the ability of the school board members to function as “public agents” tasked with “supervising and controlling a charter school.” CACO assumes responsibility for all administrative activities of the school and is responsible for implementing or overseeing the school’s educational program.

The contract includes an automatic renewal term that requires the Board to take affirmative action to notify the CMO that it will not renew the contract 18 months before it expires. The Board may also terminate the contract for designated reasons, but only after providing a six-month cure period followed by an 18-month notice period prior to the termination taking effect.

These provisions give CACO significant leverage over the school, effectively stripping the Board of the ability to exercise independent judgment.

Public Contracting Law Violations

CAPS Asbury violated public contracting laws by approving payments to a company owned by the school Executive Director’s brother-in-law without obtaining competitive quotes or following proper authorization. Public contracting laws exist to secure competition and to guard against favoritism, improvidence, extravagance, and corruption. CAPS Asbury was required to procure its contract in accordance with the Public School Contracts Law (PSCL).

CACO's Response

CACO disputes some of these findings and contends that whatever problems did exist were isolated and involved a very small portion of the school’s expenditures. It claims that it addressed all of the problems that were found and insists that there should be no further scrutiny of its practices. CACO argues that OSC’s request for information about its expenditures using public funds is an overreach.

CACO also submitted testimony to the Senate Education Committee, explaining that it “immediately instituted a battery of investigations, reviews, and reforms to ensure these actions were addressed and systems put in place so they would never happen again.”

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